Umbral Earth
by LexorLie
Summary: When the river of time is blocked and forced to cycle, the impossible becomes possible and those who should not exist will emerge from beneath Fate's foam. Or in other words, what happens when someone from Earth gets merged with Byleth and tries to reach a golden ending. A semi-serious story about a guy trying to game the system and save everybody. As for how that ends up, well…
1. The Beginning

**Author's Notes:**

_**Spoilers for all routes!**_ You've been warned. While the story will be mostly following the Black Eagles part for awhile, the other routes and their endings will most likely be referenced heavily.

After playing through everything in Three Houses, I just wanted the story to keep on going and so... here we are. Not sure how well everything will fit together since I'm making things up as we go, but hopefully it's somewhat entertaining.

Try not to take the story 'too' seriously.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, I had become someone else. Foreign memories slipped into my mind, along with a name: Byleth.

I winced and brought a hand to my forehead. In doing so, I began to notice where I was.

A ceiling with wooden rafters. A dirty windowpane set inside a wornout wooden frame. One unvarnished and smoothed by hand.

I realized that I was laying on a bed. With a frown, I got out of it.

My body felt strange. Too light, too lanky. Not only that, but moving around felt… smooth. Coordinated and holding back force that I couldn't remember having.

To test my suspicion, I threw out a casual punch.

The crisp sound of breaking air echoed in the room.

I lowered my hand and stared at my clenched fist. What was going on here?

Confused, I examined the rest of my body.

Toned arms and legs with muscles as firm as steel. Chiseled abs that looked far too exaggerated to be real… except that they were. Smooth pale skin that was completely unblemished.

"This is weird." I muttered and shook my head. "I… what's happening to me? No, what happened to me?"

A splitting headache. A surge of memories spilled forth, filling my mind. Memories of another land, another world. Memories of this world, of Fodlan, but through a screen. Memories of magic, of technology, of science, of faith.

Infinite worlds, infinite universes. Fiction that becomes reality, reality that becomes fiction.

I am… I was…

A knock at the door. "Hey kid. You up?"

I blinked. The sound snapped me out of the deluge of memories and helped me focus. But it wasn't enough.

"Byleth." I muttered the name to myself to try and anchor my racing thoughts.

It was a lie. That wasn't me… but saying it was enough for me to focus. Enough for me to play the part until I figured out where 'I' started and 'he' continued.

The door opened. Through it walked a man with blonde hair tied in a short ponytail. He had a grizzled beard and a stern expression. The look of a man who had seen countless battles.

He was-

My father.

-Jeralt Eisner, leader of the Eisner Mercenary Troop.

"I'm up." The words spilled from my mouth before I could think about them. Oddly monotone, ambivalent.

"Well isn't that a surprise. You're usually a heavy sleeper." Jeralt smiled, a thin line that barely eased his stern expression. One that dropped when he met my eyes. "Is something wrong?"

The words were filled with concern that only a father could have. Despite my ambivalent tone, he seemed to have seen through it to the worry I felt.

I… didn't know what to say. Could I say that I wasn't Byleth? No, that wasn't completely true. I had his memories. I remembered growing up with Jeralt. I remembered him carefully teaching me how to fight and survive. His concern at my ambivalence. His parental love, clumsy but firm as a mountain. Something that Byleth didn't notice, but that I did.

"Don't tell me it was that dream again?"

Hearing the easy answer, I gave a slight nod. I didn't trust my voice at the moment to speak.

Jeralt sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know what's wrong with you. That girl and then a huge battlefield… you said this started just a few weeks ago, right?"

A few weeks ago. Wracking my mind, I realized that was correct. Byleth had been seeing those dreams approximately that time ago. Suddenly and seemingly without a cause.

Jeralt took my silence as a sign to continue. He frowned and scratched his beard. "Normally I'd tell you to lay off the story books… but you aren't the type to read those. If it was someone like Clark, that would make sense. But you've always been the serious type… hm." Jeralt shook his head. "Well, get that out of your mind for now. The battlefield's no place for idle thoughts."

I nodded and then paused. "…Battlefield?"

Jeralt sighed. "Don't tell me you forgot? Everyone's already waiting for you outside."

Everyone…? Ah. That was right. Today would be the day where I started leading my own troops. The first chance to be a bit independent.

Hold on.

A splitting headache.

I winced and clutched my forehead.

That… wasn't me. That was Byleth. I had been waiting to learn of some important news. A test had just occurred… no, I had taken a test. An important one. But what was it again? No, what was my name-

"Kid? You sure you're alright?"

I shook my head. "I'm fine." After taking a deep breath, the headache faded.

Jeralt frowned. "If you aren't feeling up for it-"

"I said I'm fine. And even if I'm not, a mercenary can't choose to just give up a job, can he?"

"…You're right. But you're also wrong. A normal mercenary can't, but who do you think I am? Chopped liver?"

Jeralt… dad… was making bad jokes. That wasn't good.

I grimaced and said, "Do I look that bad?"

"Well, I don't think the others would notice too much. Clark would probably chalk it up to nerves while Diane would think you need some more food."

Clark. Diane. Names I didn't remember but Byleth did. Old drinking buddies and comrades of Jeralt. They'd been around since Byleth was a toddler. Practically family. The former a grizzled merc that wielded a broadsword. The latter a bubbly mid-aged sniper.

"Still," Jeralt continued. "You might want to splash some water on your face before you get out there. Wouldn't do to have the Ashen Demon looking nervous on our first mission in the Kingdom, would it? The newbies might think that the world's coming to an end."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Right." Jeralt nodded and said, "Then I'll see you outside kid. Oh, and throw some clothes on. I taught you well enough to fight without them, but you might distract the newer recruits. Can't have that happen before getting our next payoff, can we?"

I gave a bland nod in return. I'd forgotten about that in the sudden existential crisis and all.

A door slammed open in the distance. Soon after, a gruff male voice called out. "Captain Jeralt! There's trouble!"

Jeralt sighed. "Oh brother…"

I quickly scanned the room for clothes. They were lying on the ground not far from the bed. It seemed that Byleth had the right thought in mind and anticipated such a situation.

I reached over and grabbed them, quickly tossing a shirt on and pulling up my pants. It was just in time, as a person ran into the hallway outside the door to my room.

A man with reddish brown hair. Unreliable looking, but with a well-honed body and a broadsword strapped to his back.

Clark.

The name came to my mind when I registered his face.

Jeralt shook his head. "What's the matter, Clark? Couldn't you have waited?"

"Sorry to bother you and the kid, but there's some brats looking for us. Seems like bandit trouble."

Jeralt frowned. "Bandit trouble? Here, in Remire?"

Clark nodded. "It's weird, right? But more than that, the kids have got that logo on them."

"Logo?"

"Yeah. The fancy… what was that place again? The captain's school?"

Jeralt groaned. "Don't tell me that they said they were from the Officers Academy?"

"Yeah! That's the one. The place you used to work for."

Jeralt sighed. "Just my luck." He turned around to face me and said, "Well, looks like we've got to settle this first, kid. Grab your sword and follow me. And remember, let me do the talking. You might be calm and all, but social interactions have never been your thing."

I frowned. Hearing that and knowing how I acted in the past made me want to rebut Jeralt. I could interact with people perfectly well… but from what I remembered as Byleth, it seemed that I couldn't find a time to contradict him with.

Instead of replying, I simply scanned the rest of my room for my gear. It didn't take long to find it.

A longcoat hung against a chair leaned below the window. Next to that was a belt lined with vulneraries and an iron sword.

I walked over and grabbed them, following my body's instincts to put them on. I quickly tied the belt around my waist, strapped my sword along my left side, and then tossed the coat over my shoulders before fastening the clasp at my chest.

Jeralt gave me a once over in the corner of his eyes before nodding. "Ready?"

"Ready."

Jeralt turned back to Clark and said, "Let's hear those brats out."

* * *

Remire village could be said to be a second home for Byleth… for me and his… my dad. Or rather, our only home. There had been a lot of places that we stayed at in the past, but only Remire could be said to be a real resting place. It was where we returned to most often and where we actually had a house.

Speaking of which, that was where I had woken up. Apparently Byleth had been sleeping in his actual room at the start of the game and not an inn, like I originally thought.

…A game. That was right. I was in a game now… or was I really? Events seemed similar, but also different. For one, I had a breadth of knowledge about the world that went beyond the game. Places and events that had never been expanded on in the game. At the same time, however, some things remained the same. Though the forest and buildings we passed while heading towards the brats were unfamiliar, they matched up with where the start of the game should have taken place.

But I was being distracted.

Even if that was true, the fact didn't change that this 'game' was now my life. And that the protagonist, Byleth, had been replaced by me. Me, who couldn't remember anything about his identity other than that he was from Earth and that he knew a lot of miscellaneous knowledge from all the novels and games he had experienced.

Which reminded me.

There was something odd in the air now that I didn't remember ever sensing before. Not only that, but that oddity was something I could somewhat control. It was strange. Like… having a third arm. Except not. No, it was probably closer to moving something in a game with a cursor. If I focused on it, I could shift it around.

I wondered. Was this mana? If so, then-

"There they are, Jeralt. Those are the ones looking for us." Clark's voice drew me out of my thoughts.

After registering what he said, I looked up to see three teenagers… or perhaps I should call them young men and woman? Either way, there were three people waiting in a forest clearing.

Some of the other mercenary troops were scattered throughout the rest of the forest. I noticed some of the newer mercenaries looking uncertain while the veterans were yawning and grumbling about how annoying it was to wake up so early.

"Are you the leader of this mercenary troop?"

The young woman walked forward when she noticed Jeralt and I approach.

Seeing that, Clark nodded at Jeralt and headed over to the join the other mercenaries, leaving Jeralt and I to deal with the approaching young woman.

"That's right," Jeralt said. "And who are you brats?"

The young woman froze. Staring at her, I noticed a flicker of unreadable emotion pass through her eyes. That was… admiration? Contempt? And… respect?

No. I was being distracted again. Rather than focusing on her reaction to Jeralt, I should have been focusing on her appearance.

First off, Byleth had no recollection of her. The only thing I recalled from seeing her was a faint sensation of familiarity. However, I knew who she was.

An aloof and cold young woman with violet eyes and hair as white as snow, long enough to trail behind her. Impractical in battle, I clinically noted, but she was apparently skilled enough that it didn't matter.

Edelgard von Hresvelg, the Adrestrian princess with the direct line of succession to the throne. The only heir left capable of inheriting it.

She wore the outfit that I recognized as the academy uniform of the Officers Academy. It was a black dress shirt with matching black pants and black leather boots. The only bit of color personalizing the outfit was a crimson cloak that she wore over her left shoulder, as well as the axe strapped against her back.

"Whoa there, Edelgard. Bit impatient, aren't you?"

The voice came from one of the other teenagers. A young man with black curly hair and a strange skin complexion, at least in comparison to everyone else around. It was a darker hue, reminiscent of light chocolate. Or perhaps a marshmallow tinged in the sun… if that made any sense. His demeanor, at least, was just as fluffy and bright.

The young man with darker skin walked over, taking a spot slightly to the left and behind Edelgard, and waved at me. "Hey there. Sorry if my companion was a bit abrupt. We've gotten ourselves in a bit of a mess, you see…"

"Claude. A 'bit of a mess' is an understatement."

The other young man walked over to Edelgard's right side and bowed. "I apologize for the inconvenience, but as we explained to your men, the situation is quite urgent."

I took the time to examine the latest speaker and double-checked with my memories.

Like I thought, Byleth didn't have any recollection of either. And, unlike with Edelgard, I didn't feel any sort of familiarity from either. However, I recognized both of them.

The young man with the cheerful demeanor and curly hair was Claude von Riegan, heir to the Leicester Alliance and leader of the Golden Deer house.

The other was Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, prince and heir to the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. A polite young man with blonde hair kept in a sidepart, from right to left.

Claude had a bow strapped to his back and a quiver to his side, whereas Dimitri had a spear on his back.

The three lords, leaders of the three houses… and the ones who would be tied up in the chaotic war to come five years in the future.

A war that I would soon be at the forefront of.

"…Kid?"

I blinked. After that, I noticed that everyone was staring at me. Jeralt specifically was turned towards me, his face set in a frown. "Is something wrong?"

I didn't remember what he said so, I fell back on the easy excuse. "Sorry. I was too busy thinking about the bandits."

"Ah." Jeralt nodded. "It is strange to have bandits out here. You'd think that most of them would have realized that we treat this place as our home grounds already. Trying to attack it is like trying to attack us. Which makes this even stranger." Jeralt turned back to the lords and said, "So I get that you three are students of the Officers Academy, but why are you being attacked by bandits of all things? And here?"

Claude let out a sigh and shook his head. "I dunno. We were just having a normal drill with our new instructor when those guys popped up out of nowhere."

"And we would have been fine," Edelgard said, "Had a certain someone decided not to run like a coward."

"Now Edelgard," Dimitri said. "I'm sure that Claude here simply thought to act as a diversion to allow us to escape. After all, our future professor did not appear ah… quite strong of heart."

Claude coughed. "Sure. Diversion. Let's go with that."

"You see, Dimitri? You will not be a fitting-"

"Right." Jeralt cut in and said, "So bandits… just happened to know that you were training and decided it was a good idea to attack? You? Students of the Officers Academy and guarded by the Knights of Seiros?"

I paused.

…Jeralt had a point. That wasn't typical behavior for bandits. They were opportunists, not bloodthirsty or reckless. It was well known that the Knights of Seiros would chase down anyone who went against the church, bandit or noble. Making an enemy of them was a deathwish.

And yet those bandits had.

That's because it was planned out.

Ah. Right. Hired guns by… the Flame Emperor, was it? And the identity of that person was-

"So, can we expect your aid?" Dimitri's voice cut off my train of thoughts.

Jeralt looked at the three lords before shaking his head. He then turned to me and said, "What do you think, kid? Should we help them out?"

I blinked. "Why are you asking me?"

"Well, this mission was going to be your test, wasn't it? Since that's obviously cancelled, might as well treat this as a substitute." Jeralt gave a slim smile and said, "What will it be, Byleth? Should we help the brats or carry on our merry way?"

Edelgard frowned. "Again, I take umbrage at the fact that-"

"Hush, Edie," Claude said. "The adults are talking."

"Edie?! I will not-"

"Let's help them out."

Before Claude could rile up Edelgard any further, I gave my answer.

Jeralt nodded. "Alright. Guess we're helping you brats out. Of course, there's conditions."

Edelgard took a deep breath to calm herself and then nodded. "Understandable. And those are?"

"Well, me and my men will do the bulk of the work clearing out the bandits. They're a threat to you, but also a threat to Remire village. The village and our troop have a bit of a history, you see?"

Dimitri nodded. "That is reasonable. But will that not be overly burdensome on your troops?"

"Yeah, well that's where the next part comes in." Jeralt walked over to my side and put a hand on my shoulder. "You three will have to follow this guy's orders in the fight. I'm sure you're all used to obeying a superior in combat as students of Garreg Mach. Think of this as a practice drill and Byleth as your professor."

I frowned.

Me, a professor? Granted, that was a potential career decision for me, but for Byleth to do so… and why was Jeralt acting like this? He didn't seem to be acting like the game at all. Shouldn't he have been more cautious?

"So you'll be our boss, huh?" Claude glanced at me and gave me a once over. "Hm… you seem pretty young for a merc. Aren't you about our age?"

"Now Claude," Dimitri said. "Age is no indicator of expertise." The blonde prince turned towards me and smiled. "I for one am thankful for your aid… Byleth, was it?"

I nodded. But before I could say anything else, Jeralt tapped my shoulder.

"Enough chitchat. It'll be a bother if we let the bandits roam free any longer, so I'll be heading on ahead." Jeralt smiled and said, "I'll leave the rest to you, kid."

With that, Jeralt turned to the rest of the troop and said, "Come on, men! We can't have those dastards wrecking Remire on our watch, can we?"

"NO SIR!"

"Then let's go!"

Jeralt thrust his hand into the air and then charged along with the troop, scattering into the forest.

That left me alone with the three lords.

…Great. Now what?

I glanced at the surrounding area, ignoring the evaluating gazes of the three lords.

We were on the outskirts of Remire village. Jeralt and the others had charged towards the bulk of the bandits, but there were still a few in the forests nearby. Those bandits were trying to be stealthy but, whether because my eyes were sharper than most or because they were terrible, they stuck out like a sore thumb- no, like red against a pure white screen.

"So, Boss. What's the plan?"

Claude's voice. Slightly teasing, but also evaluating.

I unsheathed my sword, the weight both familiar and foreign in my right hand. "We fight. I'll lead, you offer support… Claude, was it?"

Claude smiled. "That's right."

I nodded. "I'll make an opening. You shoot down at the target whenever you decide best."

"Aren't you afraid I'll hit you instead?"

"I've had worse."

I hadn't. But Byleth had memories of countless wounds as well as self-treatment. All that he'd simply shrugged off, his unique physique making him capable of doing so.

But whether I was prepared or not, I had to act. And for that, it seemed Byleth's memories and instincts were here to help.

Calm demeanor. Ambivalent tone. At that time, I could only thank the Ashen Demon for his help.

"And what of us, Byleth?"

Dimitri's voice. The blonde prince looked concerned. "It wouldn't make me feel right to have you fight all the battles for us."

"True," I said. "But we don't know the capabilities of the bandits. Let me engage the first and we'll go from there. For now, stick with… Edelgard, I believe?"

The Adrestrian princess nodded, her violet eyes silently evaluating me.

I ignored that and said, "Right. Stick with her and watch my fight. If the bandits seem too skilled, we'll continue as is. If they're something you can handle, we'll change formation."

"Understood," Dimitri said.

Edelgard was silent for a moment and then said, "Very well. Show us what you can do, Byleth."

I nodded and turned my attention back to the bandits hiding in the forest.

Here goes nothing.


	2. An Inevitable Decision

Two bandits noticed me. One was an axe man with burly muscles and the other was a lanky swordsman.

Before I could even take a single step, the axe man charged. "I'll cut you down!" He roared and leapt into the air, his axe trailing in his right hand behind him. The axe man scowled as he flew through the air towards me, his axe raised to strike.

I froze. Not out of fear or worry. Instead, out of sheer disbelief.

Did he… honestly just commit to an aerial attack? One that left him wide open?

While I was shocked, my body was already moving. Byleth's ingrained instincts kicked in and I ran through the next few moves in my head.

My sword was drawn, so there was no need to unsheathe it.

I stepped forward.

The bandit was fast, but he was airborne. An easy target.

A small part of me wondered how I was so calm. There I was, clinically examining the man before me and considering how to kill him in the most efficient manner.

I threw the thought away. Like my father said, the battlefield was no place for idle thoughts.

Neck, legs, arms, chest, groin. The axe man had countless openings, plenty for me to take advantage of. But he wasn't alone. The swordsman was lurking in the back, quietly observing.

Showy moves were out. I couldn't risk it while the students were here. So-

_End it quickly_.

The axe man arrived. He tensed his right arm and started to twist his body. His face was twisted in a cold sneer, self-assured of the outcome.

"How foolish." I muttered words not my own and then I stepped forward again.

Silver flashed and blood splattered. My iron sword cut through the air, piercing the axe man's neck.

For a split moment, he seemed frozen in time, held up by my blade. But then his body lost its strength and he started to fall, pulled down by gravity. As he fell, his eyes bulged and he made a wet, gurgling sound.

I stared at him for a moment but didn't have time to think about what I had done.

Silver flashed again, but it wasn't my blade. The swordsman charged, attacking while my sword was still trapped in the axe man's neck.

I narrowed my eyes and stepped back with my right foot. The act drew my sword out of the axe man's corpse with ease, sending crimson scattering in the air.

_CLANG._

Our blades clashed. The swordsman's eyes widened a fraction, but he remained calm, unlike his companion.

The moment our blades crossed he was already moving. Borrowing the force of my parry, he spun on his heel and then lunged, his blade coming back around for another attack. This time, instead of a slash it was a thrust aimed towards my heart.

A brief moment of panic. I felt my stomach drop at the rapidly approaching sword. But, as suddenly as the panic came, it vanished, my body already moving again.

_It's slow._

I took a step back with my left foot.

The swordsman's thrust brushed against the front of my shirt, barely skating across its surface. His eyes widened when he saw that and he tensed, realizing his mistake.

_He's open. Attack._

My right arm twisted and my sword cut towards the swordsman's exposed flank.

Fabric tore and blood splashed. My blade cut through the swordsman's shirt but failed to deal a fatal blow. Whether his reaction was faster than I anticipated or out of sheer coincidence, the bandit tumbled to the side, just barely surviving.

I glanced at my arm and frowned. _That should have hit._ Byleth's memories told me that it was an easy blow. A sure strike. Yet, it seemed that _my_ memories were causing a brief delay. The countless combat theories stored in my head were conflicting with the ingrained instincts Byleth had as a mercenary.

Maybe they would help, later on after I had become accustomed to everything, but right now they were hindering me.

"You'll die!" The swordsman jumped to his feet and lunged at me with another slash, cutting upwards from my lower left.

My frown deepened. _Amateur. Is this the best they have?_

Instead of thinking about how to respond, I decided to let my body do the work for me.

Byleth's instincts guided my movements, taking over the moment I relaxed. A step back here, a parry there, a slash there.

A deadly dance, one accompanied by the music of clashing steel.

I was still hesitating. Despite my intentions, I still subconsciously stepped in. Swinging my sword a little bit too hard, stepping a bit too wide, parrying a moment later than I should.

Fortunately, the swordsman wasn't very skilled. Instead of being a danger to me, he was more like the perfect training dummy.

"You bastard!" The swordsman noticed my intentions and grit his teeth. "Taking me lightly like this…! I'll show you!"

He was angry.

I understood why. After all, I'd be pissed if some pretty boy was using me as a training dummy to show off to a bunch of kids too. So the man's anger was understandable.

But…

"That's all."

…It meant that he didn't have any further value to me.

I parried the next blow and then reached out with my open left hand.

His eyes widened and he leaned back to avoid it. A mistake.

As the swordsman leaned back, I stepped forward and hooked his leading leg.

Before he could realize what happened, the swordsman was already tipping backwards. His arms flailed and he tried to swing his sword. But with his broken stance, it was useless.

I grabbed the man's right arm, stopping his sword, and stepped forward. At the same time, I thrust out my right arm and extended my sword.

A soft thump.

The swordsman landed on the ground at the same time my sword pierced his heart.

I stepped back, casually taking the man's sword with me, and then turned towards the lords.

Claude was the first to react. "Gotta say, Boss," he said. "You're definitely better than I thought. Didn't even need me to support you there."

Dimitri nodded. "Indeed. I must say that your fighting is impeccable. However… may I ask where you learned such fighting techniques? Never before have I seen such a masterful display mixing unarmed combat and swordplay."

I tilted my head. "What are you talking about?" I didn't do anything fancy. Sure, I mixed in a little of the fake martial arts I remembered from watching videos online with Byleth's actual combat experience, but it wasn't anything worth bragging about.

"Never mind that," Edelgard said. The imperial princess glanced at the dead bandits before turning to face me. "It would appear that you could have ended them at any time. May I ask why you purposefully delayed the combat?"

Her gaze was sharp, searching.

If I wasn't careful with what I said, it could lead me down a bad path. That was what my instincts were telling me. Fortunately, I didn't have to think too hard on how to respond.

"I told you, didn't I? It was for you three to observe." I gave the swordsman's blade a once-over. Rusty, but serviceable. That done, I looked back at Edelgard and said, "What do you three think? Doable, or not?"

Claude shrugged. "It's all the same to me. Those guys didn't seem too tough."

Dimitri nodded. "I agree with Claude. It should be manageable in small numbers."

"…So that was your intention," Edelgard muttered. "Thank you, I suppose?"

"You're welcome."

My words were calm, said in Byleth's usual ambivalent tone. However, on the inside I was frantically wracking mind for the next words.

Let's see… told them to watch me fight. Had them all here… in the game I would group us all together. But if that was all the bandits had to offer, it should be safe to spread out a bit.

I quickly surveyed the surroundings. There were still a few bandits hiding, or rather trying to hide, in the brush or behind trees off in the distance. To their credit, it was a bit hard to see them with the scarce light of dawn, but I could see them perfectly fine.

Maybe that was Byleth's talent? It would explain how he somehow knew where all the enemies were in the game.

After pondering a bit, I said, "Since they don't seem that tough, why don't we switch things up? Claude, you go with Dimitri. Same plan as with me, but be a bit more careful in your aiming."

Dimitri had an amused look on his face. "Do you doubt my skill, Byleth?"

"Of course." In the heat of battle, even if Claude was a great in-game archer, I couldn't be sure that Claude wouldn't friendly-fire. "It's my job to ensure my client's safety, not take them at face value."

"I'm hurt, Boss." Claude placed a hand over his heart, as if he was shot, and then he smiled. "But I gotcha. So, support as usual, huh?" He smiled and then turned towards Dimitri. "Looks like I'll be your bodyguard then, Prince."

"It would appear so." Dimitri smiled. "I would hope that you wouldn't be so unkind as to make another diversion and leave me behind, would you?"

"Hey! That was one time!"

Edelgard coughed and then turned towards me. "And what of myself, Byleth?"

"You and I will team up." Mostly because I didn't trust events to play out the same otherwise. "…Since you use an axe, I'll let you take point while I provide support."

Edelgard frowned and gave me a once over. Her eyes looked towards my sword, the blade I pilfered from the bandit, and then my vulneraries before returning to my face. "…I do not mean to be rude, Byleth. But how exactly do you plan to offer support? I don't see a bow or other ranged weaponry on you."

"Right. I suppose it would look that way."

And now came the part I was worried about. If it worked, I'd look even more impressive. If it failed… well, let's not think about that.

Byleth should have an inherent talent for magic. It'd be odd if he didn't with the Crest stone in his chest and bearing the Crest of Flames.

So this should work. I had to believe it would work.

I focused on the strange sensation coursing throughout my body, the same 'thing' permeating the air around me. The mana drifting about.

It was different. Foreign. But also familiar, to Byleth at least. For him, it was the same as air, unnoticeable. But to me, who came from a place without magic, it was as distinct as blood in water.

I raised my left hand.

From Byleth's memories, magic worked in two ways. The first was Reason Magic, forming mana with sigils and glyphs that created a clear logic to enforce a natural phenomenon. The other was Faith Magic, molding your mana through faith in the goddess, in yourself, or in anything really, and casting spells with it.

That was the extent of his knowledge. Basic, but enough.

Reason, faith… Magic couldn't be categorized so neatly.

Abstractly, it was a way to give concepts form through the use of mana. For Reason Magic, that was through logic, similar to physics. For Faith Magic, it was through faith, like the miracles said to occur on Earth.

Byleth didn't know the exact principle of how it worked, and neither did I. However, I knew that it _should_ work. That proper logic and enough belief was enough to cast a spell. That what I had in mind _would_ work.

And so-

Fire crackled, sparking into existence around my left hand.

I frowned. That… wasn't quite electricity, but it worked. Enough to prove a point, at least.

Edelgard's eyes widened. "A swordsman with magic…? No, fire without any glyphs…?"

I nodded and then closed my hand, cutting off the flow of mana. The flames died down and I said, "As you see, I am more than capable of providing support."

Edelgard nodded. "I appear to have misjudged you. Forgive my slight."

I shook my head. "Don't worry about it. Now, should we head off?"

* * *

Claude and Dimitri made for a devastating combo.

After I took out the two bandits and we made it clear that we weren't going to stop there, the rest seemed to charge enmasse. It seemed like they realized they had no way out except to fight and thought that we would be the easier of the targets surrounding them.

I couldn't blame them. A bunch of teenagers in fancy clothes and a bored looking chaperone made for an unintimidating bunch.

Unfortunately, they underestimated us. Heck, I underestimated us.

Axe men charged towards Dimitri and Claude, thinking the two easy targets due to their weapons. Unfortunately, it seemed like the weapon triangle in Fire Emblem didn't have any effect in reality. Also, bows weren't useless at close range.

Dimitri easily batted away the attacking axes by using his spear as a staff. Then, when the bandits were off balance, he stabbed them through their chest with enough force to blow open a hole the size of a basketball. In the few cases where he missed, Claude was there with pinpoint accuracy to shoot an arrow in a debilitating area.

Wrist, knee, neck, eye… while not always fatal, Claude's attacks were always enough for Dimitri to safely land the killing blow.

And then there was Edelgard and I.

The bandits charged at her, ignoring me entirely. Maybe they thought that such a frail girl would be an easier target than the guy who took out two of their men.

Was it because she saw the ease with which I dispatched the bandits and determined to not let herself get shown up? Either way… the bandits were mistaken.

Since she only had an axe, I decided to lend Edelgard the spare sword I picked up from the bandit. It was faster and more suited for her build.

While she had been initially reluctant, she took to the blade with ease, quickly cutting through swathes of bandits. Every strike was a kill, though whether that was due to the shock of the bandits at seeing such a deadly young girl or her own skill was questionable.

Either way, before long we had separated from Claude and Dimitri.

I wasn't too worried about them since Dimitri's monstrous strength and Claude's cunning meant that they would be fine even if they were surrounded for a while. Instead, I was worried about Edelgard.

We were in a forest clearing, with no bandits around save for the corpses lying on the ground.

Despite that fact, I remained on high alert. If I remembered right, we were in a place that looked like where Kostas would charge at Edelgard.

Except I didn't see the guy around at all. Did something change?

Edelgard wrenched her sword out of her last victim and sighed. "That's the last of them."

At that moment, there was a soft _crack_. The sword in her right hand crumbled into scrap metal, leaving only the worn-out hilt behind.

It looked like the blade couldn't keep up with Edelgard's ruthless fighting style. Maybe that was why she chose an axe? Her strength didn't seem much less than Dimitri's…

Edelgard glanced at the broken blade and frowned. "Well, I suppose I can't say I'm surprised. I was hoping it would last a bit longer, but at least it seems like the situation is under control now." She turned towards me and smiled. "It looks like you weren't needed at all."

"Right. Good job." I gave her a noncommittal answer, still focused on the surroundings. Where was Kostas? And why was everything so quiet? There should be fights happening all around, so why didn't I hear anything?

Edelgard frowned. "Is something the matter? Or perhaps you're so shocked by my skill that-"

"OUT OF THE WAY!" A roar echoed through the trees. Suddenly, a grizzled man with black hair and a malevolent face burst through the clearing and raced towards Edelgard.

"What-?" Her eyes widened. She started to raise her sword when she realized it was broken. Immediately, she discarded it and reached for her dagger.

Seeing that, I sighed. It would be fine. The game made it seem like a big deal, but I knew how skilled Edelgard was. With Kostas's reckless charge, the outcome should be assured-

A soft rustle.

My eyes widened and I scanned the area behind Kostas.

An archer, barely hidden in the brush- no, hidden better than the rest. If it hadn't been for that sound, even I wouldn't have noticed.

Sure enough, when I glanced over at Edelgard I saw that she was still focused on Kostas, oblivious to the archer waiting behind him.

Dammit!

I didn't know if Sothis would show up. All I knew was that I would be dead if I got this wrong. But I couldn't just let Edelgard die in front of me-

Wait. The bandit ambush was her plan, wasn't it? Then Edelgard should be fine.

I once again glanced at Edelgard only to see her eyes widen in genuine shock.

She had noticed the archer.

Dammit, dammit, dammit! I shouldn't do this.

Think rationally! Without Edelgard, the war five years later wouldn't happen. Dimitri and Claude wouldn't fight, and countless lives could be saved. Also, who's to say that she won't live through this? So, just let the attack go through and everything will be fine.

Right. Just let Edelgard die. You'll be doing everyone including yourself a favor.

Let her die. Let Edelgard, the future Tyrant Emperor, the one who was willing to reforge the world through blood and steel, the one who didn't care how much she had to sacrifice along her chosen path… let her die.

I knew it. You couldn't save everyone. So, for the greater good, for everyone's sake, I-

"Damn it all!"

-threw caution to the wind and jumped in front of Edelgard.


	3. Delusional Predictability

_CRACK._

The sound of shattering glass. With it, the world froze and was reduced to darkness.

Before I knew it, I was alone.

Soft, green light illuminated the surroundings, but not very far. Yet, what little it did showed elaborate architecture carved from stone. And, serving as the culmination of that elaborate architecture, there was a towering throne. A flame was carved at its back, delicate and austere. But more importantly, there was a young girl seated there.

She wore a blue dress with golden ribbons. A headdress like a tiara framed her ethereal light green hair. Poking out from beneath that hair were a pair of pointed ears, ones that twitched in irritation when the girl saw me.

"Honestly!" The girl hopped off her throne and fixed me with a stern glare. "What were you thinking, jumping in front of her like that?!"

What should I say? No, what could I say? That I simply wanted to save the girl in front of me? That my body moved before I could think about it? That I didn't want to abandon her again after playing through her route and forgetting to talk to her, leaving me to have to cut her down myself in Silver Snow?

No. I couldn't say that. So, instead of making an excuse… "I wasn't thinking?"

"Clearly not! Otherwise we would not be in this predicament!" The young girl… Sothis, huffed and crossed her arms. "To think that my life is entwined with such a reckless fool. Why I-" She paused. "Hold on. You are not the same person as the one I met earlier."

I froze. Not the same person she met… then did she actually meet Byleth before this? Before me?

Sothis frowned and walked forward. "Yes… you are different. Who are you, and what happened to the other mortal? Ah, what was their name… Beleth? Bellis? No… Byleth. Yes, that was it." She stopped a few paces before me and peered into my eyes. "What happened to Byleth, and who are you?"

"…It's complicated." I wanted to lie, but I felt like it would be a bad idea to do that to an actual divine being. Besides, it wasn't like Sothis was a malevolent Goddess.

Sothis stared at me and then muttered, "So it would appear. You… know of me. And of Byleth. No… of this world itself. And… the future?"

My eyes widened. Sothis… could she read my mind? No, that's not important right now. I had to change the subject, quickly. "That's nonsense." I coughed and said, "Anyway, where am I?"

Sothis narrowed her eyes. "Do not think me so easily distracted. Explain yourself, mortal. No… I suppose you are not quite a mortal." She shook her head and sighed. "To think that Byleth's initial response to my questioning would come true in such a manner… it would appear that Fate plays surprises against even I."

I shook my head and said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"That is a lie." Sothis stared into my eyes again, as if searching for something. "While you are not Byleth, I know your heart as well as theirs. After all, your souls have become entwined in a manner to make it indistinguishable… yes. That must have been what occurred. Still, for such an anomaly to happen… is this the result of the foolish child's wishes, or some other phenomenon?"

Before I could respond, Sothis shook her head. "No matter. Whatever the case is, you clearly know the outcome of your action. That girl… Edelgard is her name, is it not?"

I decided that it was best to stop lying to a goddess that could read my thoughts anyway and simply nodded.

Sothis frowned and placed her hand on her chin. "She will be the cause of great strife for Fodlan. Surely it would be better for her to die? What made you decide to save her?"

That… was true. No matter the route, Edelgard would be responsible for countless bloodshed. Lives lost, blood spilled, peace, only to return after years of war.

However… however…

"I just couldn't."

And that was it.

Edelgard was the reason I started playing the game. Since I heard her plea in the trailer so long ago to not forget her, I had already made my decision to side with her. Thus, to let her die before me was as unthinkable- no, unforgivable.

Even knowing what I did now after playing all the routes, even though I empathized with Dimitri as well and didn't want him to die, I…!

Sothis sighed. "Well, whatever." She waved her hand and floated back onto her throne. "It seems that your heart is set. Still… your road will be an arduous one. Perhaps Byleth might have been able to walk it, but you… you are different." Her green eyes stared at me, sharp and focused. "The times that you know of, the 'endings' you have experienced. Given that knowledge, Byleth perhaps could have saved them. But for you it is likely you will end with nothing at all."

I shrugged. "If it happens it happens."

"Hmph. How nonchalant. Then I suppose you wouldn't mind if I resume time and let you die here and now?"

I stared back at Sothis and said, "Then you would die as well."

"Perhaps." She smiled, an expression that didn't reach her eyes. "Or perhaps your death would simply send me back in time with Byleth. And then you would vanish, lost beneath the waves of Fate."

I felt a chill. That thought hadn't crossed my mind. It was… possible. Probable, actually, that my death would be permanent. That Byleth would take back his place the moment I slipped up. Even so…

I crossed my arms and glared at her. "Go ahead."

When Sothis unfroze time, the axe would cleave through my back and the arrow would pierce my heart. Edelgard would be safe, but I would be fatally injured.

…Normally.

I could gamble- no, I had to gamble on it.

I had rough knowledge of the human body. Combined with my rough knowledge of magic and my ability to manipulate mana, there was a chance I could stay alive. Long enough for my father to arrive. Long enough for Claude and Dimitri to back Edelgard up.

Shut off my nerves to ignore the pain- no, I didn't have fine enough control for that. Burn them out so that I lost all sensation. After that, use my ability to sense and manipulate mana to puppet my numb body to fight. Forcibly bind my torn flesh and manually circulate my blood-

No. I wasn't skilled enough to do that. So ignore it. Instead, just use whatever I can to fight and stall, ignoring how tattered my body got.

A gamble. It was a desperate gamble, one that could end poorly. But-

Sothis laughed.

I frowned. "What? Find my despair funny, do you?"

"Oh no. Well, I can't deny that accusation, but that is not it. Simply…" Sothis shook her head. "Never in my life have I heard such delusional rambling. Granted, I cannot recall much… but I feel as if you would take the first place for grand self-affirmation even then."

I rolled my eyes. "Unlike a certain goddess, I can't control time." Yet. "If I want to live, I'll have to resort to desperate measures."

Sothis raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you so certain that your 'desperate measures' will have any effect? It could very well be that you have misunderstood the nature of magic. What if it fails?"

If it fails… if magic didn't work like that and I couldn't do what I thought I could, then-

No.

"It will work."

I believed it. I had to believe it. And even if it didn't work, even if it shouldn't work, I'd _make_ it work.

Soft laughter, like chiming bells. Sothis smiled, a genuine one instead of the cold one earlier. "How very interesting. You are so misguided that you cannot even see where reality ends and your delusions begin… but I suppose that is a strength in itself."

I frowned. "Misguided?"

Sothis shook her head. "A trifling matter. More importantly… while I know not how our fates became tangled, I suppose you are not the worst person I could have been paired with. At the least, you are not too dissimilar to Byleth." She shrugged and hopped off her throne.

"Should I take that a compliment, or an insult?" Calling me delusional, misguided… this was the benevolent goddess that Fodlan worshipped?

Sothis frowned. "I heard that. And as you very well know, it was not my intention to bring about such a phenomenon."

"Doesn't change the fact that you're different than what a goddess should be."

"My. How flippant. Though, I suppose this is the natural result of one from a world without gods." Sothis shook her head. "But that is beside the point." She raised her right hand, causing a glowing yellow sigil to appear.

Scripture circled the edges of the glyph, reminiscent of Bible passages, but they revolved too quickly for me to catch.

"Like your 'game' foretold," Sothis said. "My ability to turn back time is limited. It is also constrained by Fate, preventing me, and in turn yourself, from defying certain events. However you have quite a few interesting ideas stored away in that mind of yours," Sothis muttered.

Interesting ideas…? Did she mean all the stuff I knew about time travel and the multiverse?

"Quite," Sothis said. "Perhaps we might be able to use that and defy Fate in the future. But for now… are you ready?"

I straightened my body and looked around.

An empty throne room… no, a Holy Tomb. This was where Sothis was forced to exist. By herself, in the dark.

Alone.

I hadn't thought too much about it since I was worried about how to stay alive, but-

Sothis laughed. "You are soft. Much softer than Byleth. But I suppose that is what makes you so amusing in comparison. Yes, I believe our relationship will be quite fulfilling in the near future. But for now, you know your duty." She yawned and then waved her hand. "We will… talk soon, earthbound spirit. Until then…"

The glyph spun counterclockwise, turning into a yellow blur.

My eyes widened, just registering Sothis's last words.

"Wait, what do you mean earthbound-"

_CRACK._

Again, the sound of shattering glass. The past few moments before meeting Sothis flashed through my mind. At the same time, the darkness of the Holy Tomb was replaced by the dim light before dawn.

I was in a forest clearing. Edelgard stood before me, a frown on her face. "Is something the matter? Or perhaps you're so shocked by my skill that-"

"OUT OF THE WAY!" A roar echoed through the trees. Suddenly, a grizzled man with black hair and a malevolent face burst through the clearing and raced towards Edelgard.

Kostas's voice.

The bandit leapt through the air, charging at Edelgard. Behind him, I could see the archer, slowly notching an arrow.

I moved.

My left hand gathered mana, forming flames. My right stretched out to push Edelgard to the side.

"What are you-"

"Archer!" That was all I had the time to say before Kostas was upon me.

Dammit, Sothis! Couldn't you have given me more than a few seconds?!

There was no time to think or make any plans. Sparks of flame flickered into existence within my left hand. My sword couldn't be drawn, and it would be dangerous to let that archer get off a shot. In that case-

"Hah!"

I threw an uppercut with my left hand.

Was it because of desperation or because of something else? Whatever the case, the small flame in my left hand gathered around my whole body. Suddenly, I found myself propelled off my feet by a torrent of flames.

"WH-?!" Kostas's voice echoed through the clearing, abruptly cut off when my fist reached his chin.

There was a loud _snap_ and the bandit leader was sent flying through the air before landing with a thud.

Gravity suddenly kicked in for me and I fell to the ground. However, my landing was much softer than the one Kostas had.

But we weren't out of danger yet. I quickly turned towards the archer and held out my left hand. Flames were still present, so I sent some mana towards my outstretched hand, preparing to launch a stream of fire at the archer.

The archer's eyes widened and he scrambled to his feet. It seemed that he realized he was out of his depth and so chose to make a hasty retreat.

I sighed and cut the flow of mana. "That should be it, right?" I muttered.

"Kid! You alright!?" A familiar male voice echoed in the distance. My father's. The sound of galloping hooves followed Jeralt's voice and then he burst into the clearing on a horse, followed close behind by Clark.

The moment Jeralt entered the clearing, he vaulted off his horse and landed on the ground in front of me. His eyes took note of the still burning embers from my stunt, but he ignored them in favor of me. "I saw the flames. You aren't hurt, are you?"

"I'm fine. Can't say the same about that guy though." I gestured towards Kostas.

"Hm?" Jeralt turned, finally realizing that Kostas was laying there.

The bandit leader must have sensed Jeralt's gaze. The moment that Jeralt turned, Kostas hopped to his feet and broke out into a full sprint. He left his axe behind, giving his all into just running away.

"Tch. Clark!"

The grizzled swordsman nodded and said, "Leave it to me, Boss!" After that, Clark unsheathed his sword and ran off after Kostas.

At that time, Edelgard got up, brushing dirt off her clothes. "That was… unexpected." She turned to me, a strange mix of emotions in her violet eyes, before saying, "But thank you."

Branches cracked and leaves rustled in the distance. Not long after, a pair of familiar lords rushed into the clearing.

"Hey, Boss!" Claude waved his right hand and said, "I saw the flames and thought you might need some help!" When he noticed Jeralt standing there, along with the flames, he lowered his hand. "Ah. Never mind. Looks like you handled it."

I sighed and opened my mouth to talk. But before I could say anything, another voice boomed in the distance.

"The Knights of Seiros have arrived!"

I sighed again. But that time, I wasn't alone.

Jeralt turned towards the latest arrival and muttered, "Him, huh?"

* * *

A man in platemail with a spiked pauldron over his left arm. Black mustache and beard combo, black hair and a bright smile.

Before either Jeralt or I could react, Alois and the Knights of Seiros had arrived and ushered the lords away for medical examinations. After that, Alois walked over to talk to us. Us being Jeralt and I.

Alois stopped in front of Jeralt and gave him a once over. Then he did a second time before his bright smile turned into a full-blown grin. "Why Captain Jeralt! It is you, isn't it?"

I winced at the booming voice. The game really underplayed his enthusiasm at seeing Jeralt again.

My dad seemed just as affected as I was, but he hid it better. Instead of wincing, he simply grimaced and let out a sigh. "Quit it with the captain nonsense, Alois. I haven't been that for decades now."

Alois laughed. "You'll always be Captain Jeralt to me. But what a pleasant surprise! I didn't know that you were frequenting this area!"

"Well," Jeralt said. "Surprise or not, it was nice seeing you again. Goodbye."

"Huh?" Alois blinked and then said, "Ah. I suppose you are busy… right. Goodbye Captain Jeralt- Wait! That's not how this ends!" The knight shook his head and said, "I must insist that you return to the monastery with me! Why, it must have been over twenty years since I've last seen you! We're well overdue for a drink!"

"Garreg Mach Monastery…" Jeralt sighed and put hand to his forehead. "I guess there's no avoiding it. It'd be a pain to run from the Knights of Seiros at this point."

Alois grinned and thumped a fist against his chest. "Wonderful! We'll set off immediately! It's fortunate that we met so early in the morning! Why, if we set off now, we might even make it to the monastery by nightfall!"

"…Are you trying to kill the new recruits, Alois?"

"Hm? Is that not how you trained me, Jeralt?"

"Well, that's true but…"

"Anyway," Alois said. "Dare I ask who this young man is?" The Knight of Seiros turned towards me, curiosity clear on his face. "Are you Captain Jeralt's son?"

Technically, I wasn't. However, for all intents and purposes, I was. Because of that, I nodded and said, "That's right. Though… I never knew that my dad was a Knight of Seiros."

"Oh?" Alois turned towards Jeralt. "You never told him?"

Jeralt shrugged. "It never came up. After the fire, I decided to leave it all behind me and focus on raising my son, Byleth."

"So it's Byleth then." Alois turned back to me and held out his hand. "Alois! It's a pleasure to meet you, Byleth!"

I nodded and held my hand out in response. "Same here."

Alois gave me a firm handshake before letting go and turning back to Jeralt. "So, Captain. I see that you and your men helped our students." Alois straightened and then saluted Jeralt. "For that, I give you thanks. It'd be a terrible slight on our part to allow anything to happen to the future leaders of Fodlan."

Jeralt hummed and said, "So the brats were important, huh?"

"Brats? Ohoho, you never change, Captain! Though I suppose to one as old as you are, everyone's a brat, aren't they?"

Jeralt shook his head and then turned towards me. "This will probably take a while, kid. Logistics, the works. Why don't you go cozy up to those nobles? Might be a good way to make connections later."

"Pragmatic as ever, Captain!" Alois laughed again and then turned to me. "He does have a point, however. The three do seem a bit out of place among the knights. I'm sure they would enjoy your company."

Alois stared at me with expectation in his eyes. Jeralt stared as well, though silently urging rather than expecting.

I thought about refusing. It'd be good to know more about the Knights of Seiros and the plans for our mercenary troop now that we would be escorting the lords back.

A moment's hesitation. But before that moment stretched too long, I nodded and said, "I'll do that."

* * *

Claude waved at me when I arrived at the forest clearing. "Heya, Boss! Everything work out with the knights?"

I nodded. "I believe so. It will take a bit to sort out the logistics, however."

"Is that why you came over here?" Dimitri asked. "Not that I mind the company… but do you not have more important tasks at hand? Surely a mercenary as skilled as yourself has more important duties to attend to?"

I shrugged. "Normally, yes. But at the moment, not really. My father is in charge of the major decisions, so I'm left without much to do."

"Your father…" Edelgard said. "He is Jeralt Eisner. The Blade Breaker, correct? Former captain of the Knights of Seiros?"

"I wouldn't know. To me, he's always just been father… or dad."

Edelgard stared at me, her violet eyes as evaluating as ever. "How interesting. There must be quite the story behind that."

"Maybe."

Dimitri stepped forward. "In any case. Byleth," he said. "I wanted to thank you again for coming to our aid. Your command of the battlefield and your keen insight into enemy movements have awed me. Furthermore, your combat prowess and calm demeanor… may I ask if you have any plans for the future? You see, I would-"

"Hold, Dimitri. If you are planning to recruit our friend here, allow me to at least introduce myself." Edelgard turned towards me and said, "I am Edelgard von Hresvelg, princess and heir to the Adrestrian Empire. A man with talents such as yours would surely-"

"Edelgard!" Dimitri shook his head. "At the least allow me to finish my proposition before beginning your own!" The blonde prince turned back towards me and said, "I am Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, crown prince and heir to the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. Your skills as well as your chivalry would surely be suited for our kingdom. Please, won't you consider-"

"Whoa guys!" Claude help up his hands and said, "We've barely gotten to know Boss over here and you're already leading with the hard questions? I was thinking of slowly getting to know each other on the way back before asking for favors." The archer turned towards me and said, "But since we've gotten to this point, might as well take a jab at it too. Name's Claude von Riegan. I don't want to bore you with the court stuff, but if you need some work, the Leicester Alliance has a few people that could use your skills. If not that, there's a few places we could visit-"

"Enough!" Edelgard held up her hand to cut Claude off and turned towards me. "Will you not lend your services to the Empire? We could use a man of your caliber."

"Rude, Edelgard." Claude frowned and shook his head. Then he turned towards me. "But she does have the right idea. What do you think, boss? Taken a fancy to one of us?"

Dimitri sighed. "I apologize for the… bold propositions of my companions. But I am curious to hear your response as well. Do you intend on aligning yourself with one of our territories?"

I paused.

This was… a lot more intense than I remembered it being in the game. Sure it was dandy and all choosing a side when you were a layer removed and knowing that it didn't _really_ decide your allegiance, but personally facing the three lords while knowing what I did about the future… I was finding it hard to answer.

"I…"

Edelgard was the obvious choice. Without Byleth's influence, her heart would turn to ice, willing to go to any lengths to fulfill her dream. At the same time, however… would I make any difference with her? I wasn't Byleth. I lacked his natural charisma and leadership… even if I chose to join with Edelgard it was likely that the path would be the same.

Dimitri… he was a strong second choice. Without Byleth's influence he would become victim to his demons. The fact that he was unstable and the betrayal he would feel at the reveal of Edelgard's identity near the end of the year would send him in a destructive spiral… and that was without including the coup done by that Cornelia woman.

Claude… he would be fine. He had a chance to live in every route, and he would always return to his homeland at the end anyway. Aligning with him… while it led to the truth behind the underpinning of the Crest situation, it wouldn't help me any since I already knew it. Not to mention that aligning with him technically put me as neutral, but realistically aligned me against both Dimitri and Edelgard.

In that case…

"If I were to choose a territory to join, I believe that I would-"

"Kid."

Jeralt's voice cut through the air.

I let out an inward prayer towards whatever divine powers were out there for saving me from the situation before turning around.

Alois and Jeralt walked towards us. It looked like they had finished their conversation already.

I frowned and said, "I thought it was going to take a while before you were done talking?"

"As did I!" Alois said. "However, the old captain here was more efficient than I thought. Why, only a few words from him to his men and we were settled!"

I raised an eyebrow and glanced at Jeralt.

My father shrugged. "Clark and Diane have things covered. I told them about our trip and they said they'd meet us there a week from now after getting things settled."

"Isn't that too soon?"

"Eh. It's not like they can't handle it."

"And what about-"

Before I could say anything else, Jeralt cut me off. "You're awfully talkative today. Had fun with the other brats- er, sorry. The _lords_?"

A strange emotion was in Jeralt's eyes as he looked at me. A mix of concern and… something else. Not suspicion, but… caution?

I felt my stomach drop, but thankfully my anxiety didn't show on my face. "You could call it that."

I glanced back over at the lords. They all looked a bit upset at being interrupted, but deferred to Alois and Jeralt. Maybe it was their status that led them to silence, it being improper for the lords to insist in such a situation. Either way, I appreciated the distraction from my answer.

"Well, enough of that." Alois grinned and said, "Let's get a move on, shall we? We have much to go and not much daylight to go by."

"Loathe as I want to admit it, Alois has a point." Jeralt nodded and said, "Come on kid. We've got a long march ahead of us."

Then, without much more warning, he placed his hand on my shoulder and started leading me away.


	4. The Effect of Sorrow

_Well, well. This is quite the predicament you've found yourself in._

I could hear Sothis's voice from somewhere but I chose to ignore it. No, I had no choice _but _to ignore it.

We were on our way to Garreg Mach Monastery, walking along the trail towards the top of the Oghma mountains. The Knights of Seiros, led by Alois, were acting as the rear guard of the party. After the lords were ambushed by the bandits, Alois and the knights weren't willing to take any more chances.

In front of the Knights of Seiros were the three lords, Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude. There was a bit of buffer room between the knights and the lords, giving the three a bit of privacy. However, there was definitely a feeling of them being chaperoned instead of free to move. While Claude and Dimitri seemed okay with it, the few glances I snuck back at Edelgard showed that she was definitely not happy with the arrangement.

As for me and my dad, we were the vanguard, leading this merry band back to Garreg Mach Monastery.

Apparently, Jeralt had convinced Alois that this would be a better formation than the initial plan of having the knights lead. As the Blade Breaker and former captain of the Knights of Seiros, his presence alone was enough to deter any would-be attackers. While some bandits might take a chance at the Knights of Seiros thinking them lofty church followers without any skill, my father's reputation was well-known, especially among the local hoodlums.

Paired with my own reputation as the Ashen Demon, an emotionless killer with a glare said to scare death itself, and my skills shown in the last battle, any riffraff would think three times before deciding to attack.

At least, that was the plan.

I could see the logic in it. On a surface level, it made sense. Not only was it taking a step back so as not to step on the toes of the Knights of Seiros, it also gave them the option to cut ties whenever they wanted and leave us with the bulk of danger. At the same time, we could gain the esteem of being skilled enough to serve as the vanguard for the Knights of Seiros themselves. It was win-win.

However, as we marched, I began to realize that those weren't the only reasons for our formation.

There was a peaceful atmosphere. Claude and Dimitri made idle chatter about their plans at the monastery, occasionally drawing Edelgard in their conversation. Behind them, Alois's voice boomed, followed by the sounds of the other knights chiming in.

Yes, a peaceful atmosphere… one that didn't extend to me at all.

Jeralt was walking beside me. He was quiet, eyes narrowed in concentration and mouth set in a stern frown. It was a familiar expression, one that he always had on the job. But despite his current appearance, there was an undercurrent of unease radiating from him.

Outsiders wouldn't be able to see it. To them, Jeralt was the same as usual: gruff, stern, and focused. But to me, the person who had Byleth's memories and instincts, it was clear that something was bothering him. It was in the slight twitching of his eyes, the way his beard occasionally shifted as he subtly tensed his jaws.

I knew why. My actions were too different, too _off_ from how Byleth normally acted. But at the same time, it wasn't drastically different. Just… off. Like how someone might be on a bad day.

Jeralt probably thought the dreams were affecting me more than I told him. And he was right, in a way.

Byleth had changed because 'I' had arrived in this world. He wasn't completely gone since his memories and instincts had blurred with mine to the extent that I couldn't even tell anymore if I had become him or if he had become me, but the point was that I _was_ different.

But I couldn't just say that. What could I say to Jeralt, to my dad? That I had a set of memories about a whole different life in a different world? That in that world this one was just fiction- no, a game that kept teenagers and adults with too much time on their hands occupied?

Because of that, because any words I wanted to say wouldn't make sense or would make him worry too much, I kept quiet. But since I was quiet, Jeralt only seemed to grow more uneasy, leading to a tense silence between us.

While I was doing my best to ignore it, I heard Sothis's voice echo in my head.

_This is quite unlike the memories you have of this world, is it not? The ones in this position should be your father and the knights, not he and yourself._

…That's right. I hadn't noticed due to the mild panic of trying not to slip up and spill everything to Jeralt, but I had taken the place of the knights that should have been talking to him in the cutscene heading back to Garreg Mach Monastery.

What did that mean for me, no, for the timeline?

I already knew that my presence would have an impact on the story. It was more likely than not that things would change from what I remembered them being in the game as a result of my actions. It would be impossible for them _not_ to. Only certain facts, such as Those Who Slithered In the Dark infiltrating the Adrestrian Empire and the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, the origins of Crests, and other things that were already set in stone before the story would remain the same.

Everything else, the events to come, the people who would die, the people who would live… those were all volatile. Possibilities rather than certainties.

Unless were were operating under the attractor field theory where certain events were immutable without changing the world line. In that case, I was in trouble. My father's death, the fact that either Edelgard or Dimitri would die… they would be unpreventable unless I managed to either cheat Fate or break it entirely.

_Indeed. For a mortal, you appear to have quite the grasp on the ebb and flow of time. Your world is a most peculiar one to know so much… and to have even scried into our own. I do wonder if some greater power is at play there…_

Hearing Sothis's words made me wonder as well. After all, I couldn't have just randomly appeared here in Byleth's body… at least I didn't think so. Maybe there really was a God on Earth and he thought it would be good to send me here? Or maybe something here called me? No, Sothis had said that I was an 'earthbound spirit'. If that's the case, then-

_Oh! Pay attention. It seems your father is finally going to speak!_

"So…" Jeralt spoke but kept his gaze forward. "Anything you want to tell me?"

I thought about how to answer that question.

An exasperated sigh echoed in my mind. _Come now, child! You know of Jeralt's personality from that game of yours. While it may not line up exactly with reality, I do believe that he is as trusting and concerned about you as you remember him being. _

She had a point. And so…

"There is."

Jeralt gave me a sideways glance. "And?"

I frowned and said, "It's… complicated."

"Complicated, huh?" Jeralt muttered. "I'm guessing it has to do with your dreams?"

"Yes."

Jeralt sighed. "Damn. And now that we're heading back towards the monastery…" Jeralt shook his head. "Well, you aren't hurt or anything, are you? The stunt you pulled with the flames didn't burn you or anything?"

I shook my head. "It was… new. But it didn't hurt me at all."

"Good. That's… good." Jeralt nodded. His worry seemed to ease up at my words. The tension in his face slackened and he stopped clenching his jaw. Still, it wasn't completely gone. "But flames, huh? Could it be from Iris?"

"Iris?" That was a new name. Not in either my memories or Byleth's.

"Ah." Jeralt shook his head. "She's… I'll tell you about it later." He glanced at the knights behind us and said, "Anyway, what do you think about all this?"

"Hm?"

"The bandits. The knights. The lords. What do you think about them? About all of this?"

To me, it was inevitable. But to Byleth, it would have been completely new. "I… suppose it's unexpected?"

"Tell me about it." Jeralt sighed and ran his right hand through his hair. "Looks like I've roped you into something troublesome this time, kid."

"Don't worry about it, dad. It's a mercenary's job to expect the unexpected, isn't it?"

"You're not wrong, but…" Jeralt trailed off again.

I waited. In the meanwhile, Sothis started talking again.

_Expect the unexpected indeed. It would appear that your father is much more open than in that game of yours. And concerned as well. Perhaps your 'presence' is more impactful than you thought._

You mean that my act isn't as convincing?

_Mm… not quite. After watching you and your memories, it would appear that you aren't… dissimilar to Byleth. Indeed, you two are quite similar in how you react. Eerily so, in fact. But, there is a difference. Byleth, at least, is more… naïve, shall we put it? Pragmatic but ignorant. You, however… you are quite clinical in your perspective of reality. At least, when it does not involve your delusions._

I frowned.

Jeralt noticed immediately. "Something wrong?"

I resisted the urge to curse Sothis and shook my head. "Nothing. Just…" I wracked my mind for a reasonable excuse and said, "…curious."

Jeralt raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

"Since when were you the captain of the Knights of Seiros?"

"Right. That." Jeralt sighed. "It's a long story, kid. One that started well before you were born." He paused and stared off into the distance. "Let's just say that some things happened that made me decide the Church of Seiros wasn't exactly where I wanted to raise my kid."

"And you thought it would be better to do that in a mercenary troop?"

Jeralt shrugged. "Clark and Diane pitched it to me. Since I didn't have anywhere else to go, it was a good an idea as any. Besides, we raised you right, didn't we?"

Raised me right? By teaching me how to fight when I was five, how to kill when I was six, and giving new weapons for my birthday every year up until now?

I gave my dad a blank stare.

He stared back with an impressive poker face, as stone-cold as a craggy mountain.

…Was he always like that, or did he pick it up after having to deal with a young Byleth that didn't express any emotion on his face, I wonder? Either way, after staring for a few seconds and seeing that he wasn't backing down any time soon, I looked away and said, "I guess."

"See? And…"

I frowned. "And?"

"And… I'll tell you some other time. Maybe when we have some free time after arriving at the monastery." Jeralt glanced back behind us and said, "It's not really a story that we should tell in the open, you see."

"Mm." I understood why he didn't want to tell it now. Didn't make me feel better about being left in the dark, but I understood why.

"Now tell me." Jeralt gestured towards the lords with his head and said, "What do you think about the three brats?"

"The lords?"

Jeralt nodded. "That's right. What's your opinion of them?"

I had a heavy bias towards Edelgard, but I empathized with Dimitri. And Claude was a cool guy that I'd actually be friends with back on Earth so… "I suppose neutral? I haven't gotten much chance to interact them." And I hadn't quite decided on who I would side with either.

"Neutral, huh?" Jeralt furrowed his brow. "Then they haven't made that much of an impact on you, or…?"

I shook my head. The exact opposite was true. They had made too much of an impact on me. Me and Byleth, at least the Byleth that would experience those routes. "It's not that. It's just…" I wracked my mind for an excuse and said, "I'm not sure if my read on them is correct. I'm not that good a judge on character, remember?

"Now I never said that. You might not be a people person, but you've never been wrong on reading people."

Huh. He was right about that. From what Byleth could remember, he had been the one to make the last call on whether or not to take a job. I guess it had something to do with his calm mind that made it easy to evaluate other people.

"So," Jeralt said. "Your thoughts? Maybe about the girl?"

"The girl?" Why was he asking about her? I glanced at my dad and said, "You mean Edelgard?"

"That's her name, huh?" Jeralt looked amused. "Must be some girl for you to jump in front of her and pull out a new combat art."

_Indeed. Edelgard must be quite the girl, is she not?_

I shook my head, both to get rid of Sothis's words, and to buy time to answer. "It's not like that."

_Really now? Your heart says otherwise._

I ignored Sothis and said, "It's just…"

"Just…?"

Seeing Jeralt's amused look, I sighed and said, "Never mind."

Jeralt laughed and clapped me on the shoulder. "Look at you being irritated. First time for everything, eh?"

"Sure."

"Anyway," Jeralt said. "To be honest, I just wanted to check on you." His expression turned somber and he said, "You've been… off since this morning. More animated. Talkative. And that's only been exaggerated since meeting those brats." Jeralt sighed and said, "Look. I don't know what's going on with you and I won't pry. But make sure to tell me if there's anything serious, alright?" He stared into my eyes and said, "I know you like keeping to yourself. Probably get it from me, to be honest. Still, I _am_ your father. If you need anything, I'll be there. Got it?"

I felt a warmth spread through my chest. An unfamiliar emotion for Byleth, but one that I knew well. It was the comfortable feeling of assurance that only a parent could give, the unconditional love and faith that they gave their child.

I averted my gaze. This… wasn't like how Jeralt was supposed to act. I mean, I knew he cared about Byleth, but for it to be this much, for me to react like this…

Was it a curse or a blessing that my vision wasn't blurred by tears? Either way, I managed to compose myself and glanced back at Jeralt. "And what about you, dad? It's not like you to be so concerned."

Jeralt rubbed his beard. "Hm… you're right. I guess I've just been feeling a bit sentimental."

"Sentimental?"

Jeralt glanced at me and frowned. "Maybe it's because I'm getting older, but I just can't help but worry when I look at you. And… well to be honest, you're not the only one who's been having strange dreams."

I froze.

"Kid?"

I shook my head and kept walking. "Strange dreams?"

"Yeah. Nothing you need to worry about. Just… odd."

"What… what were they about?" Did he remember the future? His death? Byleth's regrets?

Jeralt frowned. "That's the strange thing. I can't remember. Only…"

"Only?"

Jeralt stared at me. "Only they seem to be about you. You and… I don't know." He shook his head. "It sounds silly, but every time I wake up I just want to tell you that… nevermind." He let out a long sigh and said, "It's nothing. Probably just me getting old."

It was… oddly touching. But extremely concerning.

_I'll say!_

I had to physically restrain myself from flinching. It was easier to do, given Byleth's naturally composed state, but… dammit Sothis. Couldn't you have picked a better time to speak up?

_Hmph. You would do well to get accustomed to this. Though I suppose you are doing better than how Byleth did… or would? Time is ever so confusing when talking with you._

You're the confusing one. Do you know how hard it is to keep your thoughts straight when someone else shares your head?

_In any case… This is quite the strange series of events. Your father having strange dreams? Is this a result of your presence, I wonder? Perhaps he is seeing visions of what is to come as a result of what you are?_

Maybe. He seemed to have some idea that Byleth could rewind time in that first cutscene at least.

_Indeed. Perhaps you should tell him?_

What, that I'm actually a nameless disembodied spirit that took over his son's body and merged with his soul?

_No, silly! About his impending demise!_

I stared at Jeralt and wondered about that.

Sothis had a point. Jeralt's death could have been prevented if he was just a bit more cautious. The only reason that Kronya managed to get him was that he chose that particular day to forget to wear his shield on his back. But if I told him about it now… no. It was too soon.

_This is the perfect opportunity! How else are you-_

Did you forget about our present company? The knights and the three lords behind us?

_Ah. True enough. I suppose I was too excited. Hm. Excited…? How strange. That emotion did not come from me. Nor did it come from you._

What?

_No. It's nothing. In any case, it appears that your father is finished talking now._

I glanced over. It did seem like the conversation was finished. Jeralt had turned his attention back to scouting duty, and the undercurrent of unease around him had vanished. It seemed that his talk had gotten the weight off his chest.

But in that case, what should I do? There was still a long way to Garreg Mach Monastery and he was the only company I had until then. Other than Sothis, that is.

_Isn't it obvious? Countermeasures, plans! Make use of every moment you have! For such a delusional fool like yourself wanting to save everyone, that is the best use of your time._

You're right. But… that's weird isn't it?

_Hm?_

You're supposed to be asleep right now… or rather, you're supposed to be sleepy in general. Why are you so energetic?

_Why in the world would I want to sleep when someone as interesting as you is around? Besides that, you have quite the few novel ideas stored away in that mind of yours. And since you have the time, should we discuss them?_

I don't see why not.

_Very well. First of all… explain exactly what you did when you saved Edelgard the second time. How you manifested those flames…_

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

A bit of a side note, but did anyone else notice that Byleth and the lords have names in alphabetical order? BCDE, Byleth, Claude, Dimitri, Edelgard. I just did, and I also realized that's the route order I took to finish the game. Weird coincidence…


	5. Ruminations and Reparations

"So we're really doing this…" Jeralt stared at the stairway leading up to the archbishop's chambers and frowned.

The trip to Garreg Mach Monastery had differed quite a bit from the game. For one, Jeralt stuck to my side the entire time, as if he was afraid I would disappear without him. For another, the lords were quickly ushered away once we arrived, never getting another chance to speak to me except to offer a brief farewell.

But perhaps the biggest difference was that we arrived at dusk, just as the sun was setting. Due to the time, Alois and the Knights of Seiros that came with us left to attend to other duties, leaving just me and my dad to meet the archbishop. To meet Rhea, the person in Fodlan that I had the most mixed feeling about. Also the person I had to be the most cautious around.

To calm myself down, I took a look around my surroundings. As I did, Sothis's now familiar voice echoed in my mind.

_My. Your game does not do this place justice._

I couldn't help but agree with her.

While the game made Garreg Mach Monastery look fairly majestic with the open world aspect and free roaming, it had been a bit empty, as games were. Stale, if that made any sense. The talking characters and fully voiced dialogue helped, but it was still artificial. A clear simulation.

But this was reality, and that fact was clear to see.

I could see the knights patrolling the halls in full armor, clanking with every step. I heard cheerful voices and soft hymns drifting from the distance. Through the nearby windows, I saw Pegasus and wyvern knights flying in the air above, no doubt scouting out the area for potential dangers. And then there were the students roaming around the grounds outside, socializing before classes started.

It reminded me of the summer before university, when the freshmen were just arriving in their dorms and getting to know each other.

Jeralt shook his head and said, "Guess I can't run this time." He sighed and turned to me. "Come on kid." After that, he started climbing up the stairs.

I followed him, but not before glancing around the area a second time to commit it to memory. I'd be visiting these halls a lot in the future, so it'd be a good idea to remember it now so that I don't make a fool of myself later.

_Oh? _Sothis's surprised voice echoed in my head. _How quaint. Your world has techniques to improve memory as well… Do you mind if I examine these?_

It's not like I have a choice in the manner, do I?

_How rude! What do you take me for, a mere child fascinated by the mildest of things? _

Yes?

_I will pretend I did not hear that. Regardless, you can always refuse. While our hearts and souls may be joined, I am not so insensitive as to peruse your memories without your permission. It would be unbecoming of a goddess such as myself. _

That's right. I keep forgetting that you're a goddess. The childish appearance is throwing me off.

_Hmph! Well, make sure to keep it in mind! _

Yeah, yeah…

_Oh! Pay attention now. We have arrived._

I snapped my focus back to reality just as we walked into the archbishop's room.

The first thing I noticed was the giant stained-glass window. It was a mural depicting a scene of Seiros descending from the skies with a group of dragons. Encircling them in a golden border were the symbols of the game's major Crests.

Through that window, the light from the setting sun filtered in, casting everything a golden hue. And, directly below that light, there was a throne.

I couldn't tell what it was made of. The material looked a strange mix of silver and gold, but had an ivory texture to it. Maybe it was something created using the Nabatean technology? Either way, I didn't stop to think about it too long as my attention was drawn to the one seated upon that throne and her advisor standing slightly to her right.

Rhea. The leader of the Church of Seiros. In her throne and below the sun's fading lights, she appeared almost the same as she did in the mural: a divine figure from beyond this world.

Almost, because I knew she wasn't, despite her appearance.

_Rhea… she is truly 'Seiros', is she not? And the one beside her. He is… 'Cichol', correct? _

I thought you wanted me to pay attention?

_Ah! Do that. We can talk later. _

"Jeralt." The archbishop smiled and gently nodded her head. "How lovely it is to see you after all these years."

"Lady Rhea." Jeralt nodded back. "Apologies for not keeping in touch but… it has been an eventful few years."

"I can see that." Rhea's gaze shifted from Jeralt to me. Her smile was soft, but her emerald eyes were focused, examining my every feature.

I took the time to return the favor.

Rhea had an ethereal presence about her, though I didn't know whether that was due to her being Seiros or cultivated from her role as the archbishop over the years.

In terms of appearance… I suppose she was fairly attractive. There was a clear reason why they called her a Saint and placed her as the central figure of the Church of Seiros. Her long hair, a glowing emerald hue, was kept beneath a golden headpiece. Her attire, a pure white gown with a golden embroidery, was exactly what I expected from a religious figure of a large religious organization.

Serene, beautiful, benevolent… Rhea was almost the archetypal Saint. That is, if it weren't for her eyes.

The more she looked at me, the more a strange glint grew in her eyes. Hunger, yearning, expectation… I wouldn't have noticed it before becoming Byleth, but with his eyes and instincts I could. The subtleties that didn't come across from the screen were on full display before me.

I pretended I didn't notice. Doing so would only make her worse. Instead, I kept a straight face and slightly tilted my head, as if I was curious.

Rhea continued to stare at me, and then said, "This must be your child." Her voice was firm. A statement rather than a question.

Jeralt coughed into his hand and said, "Yes. Born… many years after I left this place. Her mother, I'm afraid, is no longer with us."

Rhea turned towards Jeralt and said, "How unfortunate."

The words were spoken softly and, to an ordinary person, might have seemed consoling. But I could detect the underlying emotion underneath it. Contrary to them, I could feel Rhea's expectation in her words. Rather than sympathetic and upset, she was practically thrilled.

No wonder Rhea was so kind to Byleth. She had already figured it out who he was the moment he arrived.

_Be wary of that one. If she realizes who you truly are and what you can do…_

Don't need to tell me twice, Sothis.

Rhea… while she wasn't directly responsible for Fodlan's situation, she hadn't done much to help it either. Sure the presence of the Church kept a superficial peace, but that was only surface level. A stage she had created while striving to bring back her mother. Something that she ignored beyond keeping the status quo. Because of that, it allowed for Those Who Slithered in the Dark… for the Agarthans to slowly sink their teeth into the territories. Into the Empire, Kingdom, and Alliance.

_Hence why I told you to make haste with your knowledge! With all of these ideas, you might even be able to-_

"And who might that person be, Archbishop?" Jeralt gestured towards the man who had been standing quietly beside Rhea.

The man had green hair as well, though a darker shade than Rhea's. It was short and curly, a bit like a lion's mane but more tame, and parted along the middle. Like Rhea, he was dressed in white clothes befitting a person of the church and had a headpiece, a thin golden circlet around his forehead. But unlike Rhea, who appeared serene and benevolent, the man's face was schooled in a stern expression.

_…Odd. The clothing that they wear. I have just noticed, but the color is different, is it not?_

Hm? What do you mean?

_You are correct in that the color white is fitting for members of the church, but was it not different in the game?_

Maybe it's just an evening gown. Probably nothing to worry about.

_Perhaps you are correct, but…_

Upon being addressed, the man nodded and said, "I am Seteth, advisor to the archbishop." He stared at my dad and said, "I have heard many things about you, Jeralt Eisner. I have also heard of how you saved our students." Seteth inclined his head and said, "For that, I give you thanks."

"Yeah, well… it was more the kid than me."

Seteth raised his head and stared at me. "Is that so? Then I extend my thanks to you as well."

I nodded back. "You're welcome."

"I, too, must offer my gratitude." Rhea spoke up and looked at me. "It would be unfortunate for the future leaders of Fodlan to befall trouble while under our charge. To have prevented that is a great boon to us. Ah, but forgive me. I never offered my introduction." The archbishop smiled and said, "I am Rhea, Archbishop of the Church of Seiros. What might your name be, my child?"

In the corner of my eyes, I saw Jeralt glance at me. Although his face was stern, the stone-cold expression he used to hide his thoughts, I could see a hint of concern in it. Hesitation as well, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't because of the situation.

I pretended that I never saw it and met Rhea's eyes. "Byleth," I said. "The son of Jeralt Eisner."

"Byleth." Rhea's smile widened, enough that I started to wonder if I made a mistake. "A wonderful name."

Jeralt coughed. "Well, it was great to meet you again Lady Rhea. However, my son and I are a bit exhausted from the march."

"Oh. That is true." Rhea nodded. "I suppose it was a bit untoward of me to call upon you so soon after your arrival."

Jeralt shook his head. "It's not that big a deal. We're used to it as mercenaries. Still, if you would be so kind…"

"Indeed. We will have plenty of time to catch up while you're here." Rhea smiled. A pleasant expression, if not for the implicit promise that we couldn't leave behind it.

_How unsettling. Tell me, is she truly my child? Truly Seiros?_

She is.

_In that case, it is no wonder that her attempts never succeeded. Such obsession is… unnerving._

That it is.

Rhea gestured towards Seteth with her right hand and said, "Seteth here shall show you to your rooms. Jeralt, your room as the Captain remains as it was. As for your son…" She looked towards me and said, "I hope you do not mind taking board near the dorms? I would make room for you near my own as well, but-"

"That's fine." I cut her off before she could suggest anything that would keep me close to her. Also because that room was about as far away from Rhea as it could get, giving me the privacy I'd require to prepare for the future.

Jeralt didn't say anything, but the light in his eyes showed that he approved.

"Very well." Rhea nodded. "Then I bid you a good evening."

Jeralt nodded back. "Lady Rhea."

I nodded and said, "Archbishop."

Seteth inclined his head towards Rhea and said, "We take our leave, Archbishop." That done, he looked towards Jeralt and I and said, "Follow me." Without another word, he walked past us and left the room.

* * *

Whether because Seteth was still cautious or because he was as tired as we were from the march, the trip to our rooms went by in silence. Jeralt's room was where it had been in the game, up the stairs near the other staff members, so we stopped by there before heading to my room.

Like in the game, it was located near the classrooms of the three houses. Not exactly in the courtyard with them, but behind them in a building below the bathhouse.

"Here we are." Seteth stopped in front of the door and handed me a key. "This is your room. While it is a bit sparse at the moment, it should do."

I took the key from him and nodded. "Thanks."

"It is simply to be expected of those that aided us. However… I will say this." Seteth's eyes narrowed. "I know not of why you or your father happened to be in the area where the ambush occurred. Nor do I know why it was that bandits appeared in an area that had been bereft of them for years. However, should I find your interests contrary to our own, or any indication that you two might have been responsible for it… know that the archbishop's personal kindness does not extend beyond her duty."

It was a cold and solemn warning.

I had expected something like that. But still, for it to be so soon…

"Do we have an understanding?"

"Of course."

"Then I bid you a good night, Byleth."

"You as well, Seteth."

The advisor gave me a curt nod before heading off into the night.

I sighed and went into my room, locking the door behind me. The moment I did, I heard a soft twinkling in the air.

"Phew. Finally, some space!" Sothis's voice echoed through the room.

Turning towards the source of it, I saw that the Goddess of Fodlan had decided to manifest herself on my bed. The green haired young girl, or apparent young girl, sat along the side of the bed and stretched her arms.

"You have no idea how damp that throne room can be." Sothis said. "In any case… What are your plans, 'Byleth'? Tomorrow marks the beginning of this sordid tale, does it not?"

Tomorrow. Right. Tomorrow is when Jeralt and Rhea would have the talk about me becoming a professor as well as Jeralt returning to the Knights of Seiros.

"Indeed." Sothis laid on her belly and laced her fingers together. That done, she rested her head against her hands and said, "Such is the time where your true role as 'Byleth' will begin. A professor to one of the three houses holding the future of Fodlan. Depending on your actions, Fate will diverge in quite a great manner."

I walked over to the desk placed against the wall and threw my coat on it. "Right. Tomorrow… everything begins tomorrow."

4/21. The Great Tree Moon. The day I decide on which house to lead. The day I get my formal appointment as the professor.

"Yes." Sothis nodded. "Tomorrow… Tomorrow? Hm."

"What's wrong?"

Sothis shook her head and said, "I cannot help but feel that something is amiss."

I nodded as I untied my sword and vulnerary belt before laying them across my coat. "Well, things are already starting to diverge, aren't they? Can't do anything else but prepare."

Prevent Jeralt's death, dissuade Edelgard from attacking the Church, ensure Dimitri didn't misunderstand who the culprit behind the Tragedy of Duscur really was. Get rid of the Agarthans, try and make Rhea not have a mental breakdown and decide to massacre everyone. Prevent Nemesis from invading…

There was a lot to prep for. I had a bit of leeway with Sothis's Divine Pulse, but only a day at a time. Beyond that, I'd be shooting in the dark.

"That is so. Then… tell me, Byleth. Or rather… nameless spirit. Both sides of time are revealed to you. What will you choose?"

I turned towards Sothis and smiled. "That's obvious, isn't it?"

I'd do my best to try and end things peacefully. Make nice with the students and the main lords. Act as a model professor, try and prevent the major plot points and deaths. But if I couldn't… if Plan A failed, then… I just needed power. Preferably magic. And since Sothis was here to turn back time when things went wrong…

Sothis froze. "No. No, no, no! This is an incredibly foolish and reckless course of action!"

I focused on the mana in my body and in the air, grabbing what little I could. After that, I tried to sense the nerves in my left arm and then- "Here goes nothing…!"

"You _fool_!"

* * *

Morning, the day after we arrived at Garreg Mach Monastery.

Jeralt was waiting for me in front of the doors to Rhea's chambers. Hearing my footsteps, he turned to greet me. "Morning kid. I was wondering when you'd-" His words stopped in his throat when he got a look at me.

I didn't blame him. My face was pale, my eyes were bloodshot with bags around them, and my hair was a mess. Explaining would be too much of a hassle… and it'd be admitting that maybe it wasn't the best idea to try and create an artificial crest when I didn't really get how they worked.

So, instead of addressing my current appearance, I yawned and took a look around.

The sun had just risen from beneath the sky, casting everything in a soft golden light. A few knights were already geared up, patrolling the halls in full plate mail. But there weren't too many of them around. Even devout knights needed sleep, I guess.

Of course, seeing all of that was just a way to distract me from the dull pain throbbing throughout my left arm.

_I had told you this was a foolish idea! All of those attempts, but for a measly circuit! One that cannot even bear the load of a simple fire spell!_

Yeah, yeah. I already know, Sothis. No need to tell me twice.

_Truly? I would have thought otherwise with how you plan to continue this reckless endeavor throughout the year! Were it not for my aid, you would have long since become a blubbering fool!_

Thanks for that by the way.

_Hmph. Focus. Your father is staring._

"Kid?" Jeralt glanced at me and frowned. "Those dreams again?"

I yawned and shook my head. "Not that. Just… anxious." That and suffering severe pain from my left arm, but that was neither here nor there.

"I see." Jeralt nodded. "I suppose that makes sense. You never did sleep well in new places."

"Yeah."

"But enough of that." Jeralt gave me a once over. "You're a bit messy, but I suppose we can't do much about that. Ready to meet Lady Rhea again?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

Jeralt nodded and then opened the doors, walking through.

I followed behind him.

"Ah. You have arrived." Rhea's soft voice drifted in the air. Like yesterday, she was seated at her throne. However, unlike before, she seemed to be in more casual attire. Maybe since it was early, or because she knew that we were specifically coming, she had removed her headdress and done her hair in a neat side braid. Her clothes were still white, but it was more of a plain dress than a formal gown.

Jeralt's eyes widened a fraction at seeing Rhea, but he quickly donned a neutral expression. He nodded and said, "Lady Rhea."

"Now, now. Enough of that."

If Rhea noticed how much of a mess I was, she didn't draw any attention to it. Instead, she smiled and gestured towards a table off to the side, stacked with a kettle of tea, cups, and various pastry platters. "I hope you two have not had breakfast," she said. "I wanted to share it with you. That is, if you two don't mind?"

"…Of course not, Lady Rhea," Jeralt said.

Rhea's smile widened. "Wonderful. Now come, I have prepared just the thing."

The archbishop drifted off her chair and walked over to the table, moving as gracefully as ever.

But… seeing that threw me off.

_How strange. This, too, is different from your memories._

It was.

Did Rhea… know something? Was it because of the way I acted? Because of how Jeralt acted?

I glanced over at my father to see that he was a bit tense. While he moved towards the table with ease, there was a bit of hesitation in his steps. Barely noticeable, but there.

"Is something the matter, child?" Rhea turned to look at me from the table, pouring a cup of tea. "You need not fear. No one here shall harm you, despite Seteth's cautious nature."

At that time, I thanked Byleth again for his skilled poker face and walked over, taking a seat next to Jeralt.

"Tea, my child?" Rhea gestured towards the cup she had just poured.

I nodded and she pushed it over before pouring another cup.

"And you, Jeralt?" Rhea asked.

"Sure."

Jeralt was passed a cup as well. However, he didn't seem too happy to see it. Not that I was either, but at least it meant that she wasn't asking the hard questions.

I took a sip from my cup of tea. It was… surprisingly the right temperature. Not too hot and not too cold. Sweet, but subtly so. Also fragrant, with the scent of a flower that neither I nor Byleth could recognize.

"I hope it is to your liking, child." Rhea glanced at me, expectant.

"…It's alright."

Jeralt nodded. "That's high praise from the kid. Doesn't talk much, you see."

"Is that so?" Rhea smiled and then poured herself a cup of tea. After that, she gestured towards the pastries. "Help yourself, child. Feel free to act as you do at home."

Cakes, biscuits, cookies… various pastries were lined up in the platters.

I glanced briefly at Jeralt to check his reaction. A subtle nod from him and I decided to go ahead and grab one.

If Rhea noticed our brief interaction, she didn't bring it up. Instead, she said, "Now Jeralt. May I presume that you know what it is I wish to ask of you?"

Jeralt took a sip of his tea before setting the cup down. He sighed and said, "You want me to rejoin the Knights of Seiros. I don't mind, but…"

Rhea feigned surprise. "I'm hurt Jeralt. Am I really so repulsive?"

"It's not that. I've just gotten used to the mercenary life."

Rhea took a sip from her tea and nodded. "Yes. I suppose it would be a bit stuffy being in the knights after the freedom of a mercenary. However… I don't hear a refusal in your words."

"That's because there isn't. I'm just concerned about my kid here."

"In that case, there is no need." Rhea smiled. "Alois made quite the recommendation for your child. He mentioned young Byleth's skill with both leading and combat. Moreover, the young lords have been praising the mercenary who guided them against the bandits."

Right. Alois recommended Byleth, so this would be that scenario. The timing and events were a bit different, but the result was the same, it appeared.

"And…?" Jeralt said.

Rhea turned to me, placing down her teacup, and said, "Tell me, young Byleth. What say you of becoming a professor at the Officers Academy?"

Jeralt froze. In the corner of my eyes, I noticed him visibly flinch at the question, though he caught himself before making a mess of his tea.

"A professor?" Jeralt asked. "Byleth?"

"Of course," Rhea said. "Our latest hire was not quite as stern of heart as we expected. When your son stepped up to save the young lords, that person fled." The archbishop's eyes narrowed. "We cannot trust our students to someone like that, now can we?"

"…I suppose not," Jeralt said. "But Byleth? He's barely older than the kids here. Not only that, but he doesn't really know much beyond combat. Won't a professor at the Officers Academy need to teach more than that?"

Rhea grabbed a spoon and scooped a bit of sugar into her tea before stirring it. "True. But he is your son, is he not, Jeralt? Knowing you, I have no doubt that he will rise to the ocassion if needed."

"Lady Rhea-"

Rhea sighed. "Come now, Jeralt. You have scarcely allowed young Byleth to speak a word since we've sat down." She turned to me and said, "Tell me child, what do you think?"

I was quiet for a moment before saying, "It's true what my dad says. I don't think I'm quite the right fit to be a professor. But…"

"Yes?" Rhea subtly leaned forward.

I turned to Jeralt and said, "You're going to be stuck here for a while, aren't you? I might as well stick around too."

Jeralt sighed.

Rhea smiled. "My. What a close bond you two have. Of course, you needn't worry too much about your job as a professor. The other faculty members will be all too eager to help you adjust and lend a hand when needed." The archbishop shook her head. "It is not as if we expect you to be the best, simply occupy the position. Think of it as both a favor for Jeralt's long service as a knight as well as an opportunity for yourself to become acquainted to the future leaders of Fodlan."

"When you put it that way," Jeralt said. "I suppose it won't hurt. Right, kid?"

I nodded.

"It's settled then," Rhea said. "Welcome to the Officers Academy, young Byleth- no, Professor Eisner." She smiled and said, "Now that the official business is out of the way, shall we enjoy ourselves? It has been quite some time since I've seen you, Jeralt. And then there is young Byleth as well. We have catching up to do. Why don't we start with your date of birth? I have quite a few presents to make up for, after all."


	6. Rapport and Rationale

**Author's Notes:**

I'm glad everyone's enjoying the story so far and I appreciate everyone leaving a review with their thoughts and questions. I won't answer any about the story, since I'm a fan of having it explain itself, but I will say that I'm happy to know that you're all having a good time following along with me in this ride. Now, back to the story.

* * *

After a few hours of subtle but pointed questioning from Rhea, Jeralt and I were finally excused with a reminder for me to meet her again at noon for a faculty meeting. Since it was taking a while, Sothis had gone on ahead of me back to my room, leaving me with just my dad.

The moment the doors closed behind us, Jeralt let out a long sigh. He rubbed his temple with his right hand and said, "Looks like Rhea still hasn't let it go. Not only that, but to be dragged back into the Knights of Seiros…" He turned to me and said, "Sorry about this, kid. I know that you were planning to go independent soon, but it looks like that won't be happening now."

Right. Byleth was going to be leading his own troop after the mission in the Kingdom. Still under the Eisner Mercenary Troop name, but an independent group. Instead, this all happened.

I shook my head. "It's fine." If we'd actually gone through with the mission, it'd be harder to influence the story. It actually worked out better for me that we hadn't gone on the mission. Not that I'd say that out loud, though.

Jeralt smiled, but then returned to his normal gruff expression and said, "Are you really up for it, kid? It's one thing to be teaching new recruits, but to be teaching noble brats…"

"Can't be any harder than learning how to kill a guy when I turned six."

Jeralt laughed. "Got a sense of humor now, do you? Well, if staying here makes you lighten up, I suppose it isn't all bad. Still, don't try to do everything yourself, alright? I might be getting old, but I'm still here for you if you need anything."

I nodded. "Thanks, Dad. I'll keep that in mind." Now, I just had to figure out the best time to break the news to him about seeing the future… maybe I should use a Divine Pulse in front of him to break the ice? He seemed to be able to sense it a bit, so that might be a good lead-in.

Jeralt smiled again after hearing my words. But, like before, the smile quickly vanished. In its place, a stern and focused expression emerged, as he stealthily examined the surroundings. After making sure that no one was around, he leaned close to me and muttered, "Keep your guard up, especially around Rhea. She might appear nice, but-"

Footsteps.

Jeralt quickly leaned back and smoothed his expression.

Not a moment later, two people arrived from down the hall. A man wearing a coat reminiscent of a physics professor and a woman dressed in a white fur-hooded robe.

The woman spoke first. "So you're the new professor? My, how stern and handsome you are." Her voice was low and sultry while her eyes surveyed Jeralt, lingering over his muscles.

The man sighed and said, "Manuela. Have you never heard of workplace etiquette? To speak so boldly to a colleague…"

Manuela rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a prude, Hanneman. I'm sure he doesn't mind." She stared at Jeralt and winked. "Do you, sweetie?"

Jeralt coughed and then placed a hand on my shoulder. "I'll leave this to you, son. If you need me, I'll be sorting out the knights." Leaving those words behind, he beat a hasty retreat.

That left me with the two newcomers. I only managed a cursory glance at first when they walked over, but now that there was a brief pause in the conversation, I took the time to examine them more closely.

The man was older than the woman and, judging from his silver hair, probably around his forties or fifties. His beard and mustache were neatly trimmed. Combined with the golden monocle over his right eye, he reminded me a lot of a posh older British man. That, in tandem with the beige coat he wore, made him look like he'd fit right in teaching at Oxford or an Ivy League school.

As for the woman, she looked like she was in her thirties but could probably pass for mid to late twenties on a good day. Her hair was brown and kept in a bob cut. Maybe to compensate for her age, or due to her personality, she was dressed a bit provocatively. The hooded robe I noted earlier barely covered her torso since she wore it more like a cloak. As a result, it emphasized the form-fitting green dress she wore beneath it.

Both of them looked a bit different in person than in the game, but I could still recognize them. Well, that and both of their names had been mentioned already. Hanneman and Manuela, my fellow teachers and the professors of the two houses that I didn't teach.

"Son, huh?" Manuela frowned and glanced at me. "Well, I suppose that makes a bit more sense. The archbishop did mention that the new professor would be a bit young… though you're more than a bit young in my opinion."

"You would do well to not underestimate our colleague, Manuela." Hanneman adjusted his monocle and said, "After all, age is no indicator of skill or expertise."

Manuela nodded. "True enough. Well, I guess I should introduce myself." She winked and said, "I'm Manuela. Professor, physician, songstress and… _available_. It's nice to meet you."

I had to thank Byleth once again for his natural composure. People made memes about it, but Manuela really was a sexy Ms. Krabapple. That was… strange. But I was being distracted.

I held out my hand and said, "Byleth Eisner. That was Jeralt, my father. He won't be teaching, but I might ask him to help out a few times."

Manuela smiled and took my hand. "A pleasure, Byleth."

"Eisner, you say?" Hanneman stared at me and said, "Yes… I can see the resemblance now. That expression of yours is quite like your father's… Ah, but forgive me." He bowed and said, "I am Hanneman, a Crest scholar and professor at the Officers Academy." His eyes gleamed and he said, "I do believe Jeralt has a major Crest of Seiros. I wonder if you bear a Crest of your own? When next you have a moment to spare, I insist that you pay me a visit so we can determine it for certain."

I finished my handshake with Manuela and held out my hand to Hanneman. "I'll definitely do so. Crests are an interest of mine, so-"

Hanneman's eyes lit up and he instantly closed the gap between us, grabbing my hand with both of his. "How magnificent! In that case, feel free to come by at any time! It is always a pleasure to find another peer walking the path of Crestology! And for one as young as you… why, I have high hopes for the future!"

Manuela sighed. "Hanneman. Weren't you the one who warned me against being too bold just a few minutes ago?"

Hanneman stepped back, releasing my hand. "Ah, yes. Quite." He coughed and said, "In any case, you were just informed of your new position, were you not, Byleth? I suppose you have not yet been briefed on the natures of the three houses?"

"That's right." I nodded and said, "I've been living as a mercenary my whole life with my father handling most of the logistics. There's quite a lot I'm uninformed about, actually."

"Hm?" Manuela turned towards me. "Do you really not know? Well, in that case, I suppose we should go over them… Ah. And since you're here, let's get you some sample lesson plans to look at too. The Goddess knows I could have used those starting off…"

* * *

I walked back to my room with an armful of books and scrolls to read.

The moment I entered, Sothis called out to me. "Back already? Considering the company you were in, I am surprised to see you return so soon."

I shut the door behind me and said, "Won't be here too long. Still gotta head back to Rhea before noon."

"Yet again? Does her obsession know no bounds?"

I placed my newly acquired reading materials on my desk and shook my head. "Not because of that. It's about me choosing a house to lead… probably."

"Ah yes." Sothis nodded. "The first 'quest' in the game, correct?" She placed her hand to her chin and said, "How curious. To think that so much has changed and yet remained the same." She shook her head. "In any case, what have you there?"

"Some lesson plans and past exams, along with a few interesting textbooks. Manuela and Hanneman were kind enough to lend me some materials to acquaint myself with how the classes run… though most of these are from Hanneman. It seems like the guy really wanted to talk with someone about his research."

Sothis floated towards my desk and grabbed one of the books. With a soft hum, she started flipping through it. "Interesting."

I looked at what she was reading. "An Anthology of Major Crests?"

Sothis nodded. "It would appear so." She shrugged and closed the book before setting it back on top of the pile. After that, she spun around and sat on the corner of my desk. "Some interesting theories, but none as interesting as your own."

"Should I be flattered at the praise or annoyed at the fact that you've been reading my mind?"

Sothis huffed and said, "With how loudly you were thinking, it would have been impossible to not hear your thoughts."

Ah. That made sense. I _was_ thinking a lot about crests when chatting with Hanneman. Mainly about what could be causing the reduced lifespan for people with two crests like Lysithea and Edelgard.

My current hypothesis was that each crest operated on a certain wavelength of mana, and having two caused an irregular interference pattern. The body could get accustomed to a single crest since their wavelengths were regular. But when two or more were present, they clashed and either amplified or nullified the mana in ways that the body couldn't handle.

"See?" Sothis said. "As I said, your theories are far more interesting. However…"

"However?"

Sothis frowned. "I have noticed that things are going quite well for you."

"Hm?" I tilted my head. "What are you talking about?" It had been a pain keeping everything straight so far. And with how Rhea was acting, as well as the slight discrepancies I'd noticed, I could hardly say that things were going well.

Sothis shook her head. "You are an interloper. An outsider to this world. Because of that, you should be facing severe repercussions. Even were you not, with this much knowledge, there should be some backlash from Fate. And yet… there is not. It confuses me, frankly."

I paused. She had a point, but… "Maybe I'm just an exception?"

"That would be ideal, yes." Sothis nodded, but the frown on her face didn't fade. "However… I cannot help but feel that something is odd. That there is something in the distance like a growing tide, barely present but assuredly arriving."

I sat down at the desk and pulled out a journal and pen from the pile I'd brought back. "Even if that's true, it's not like I can do anything about it right now."

"I suppose." Sothis shook her head. "But enough of that." She floated over and sat on the side of the desk. "What are your plans now, Byleth? The meeting is at noon, yes? That is… two and a half hours from now. Quite a considerable amount of time remains."

"That long?" I really needed to get a watch or a clock. Apparently, the Goddess Tower would normally mark the hour with the chiming of a bell, but Manuela mentioned that it was undergoing repairs. It would be done in time for classes, but until then I had to make do with Byleth's intuition and guessing the time from the position of the sun.

Of course, that was only if a certain goddess with control over time didn't help.

Sothis sighed. "However would you get on without me?"

"Very poorly."

Sothis smiled. "True enough. Now, you have yet to answer my question. If you have nothing planned, shall we peruse more of those interesting ideas locked away in your memories?"

"Hm…"

Spare time was always useful. Like the game, it was basically my activity points for the day. Of course, with Sothis here and some pulses left, I had even more options available. Speaking of which… how many of those are left? One?

Sothis shook her head. "Surprisingly, thirteen."

I nodded. "Right. So if we've only got one, then-" I paused, Sothis's words just registering in my head. "Wait, thirteen?" I turned to stare at the Goddess. "That can't be right. Didn't we only have three yesterday?"

I had used two before I managed to get a workable result in my experiment, so there should have been one left. Even assuming if they had replenished, the max should have been three. Yet…

Sothis shrugged. "It would appear that my power has returned sooner than I realized. That, or your reckless, suicidal, and absolutely moronic attempt at creating an artificial crest produced some results."

I smiled. "Great. Then that means that I can-"

"_But!_ I shall allow you only five of those pulses. Knowing your reckless disregard for your life, I suspect we will be making frequent use of them."

"Come on. I'm not that bad."

"…You ruptured your heart, burned your nerves, melted your brain, and almost shattered your mind last night! Were it not for the fact that you succeeded on your third attempt, I feared that we might have had to live with the consequences of your next foolish experiment!"

I scratched the back of my head. "Yeah… well, I know better now."

"I would hope so! If you did not after all of that, I would have to resort to my own 'desperate measures'."

I coughed and said, "Anyway, experiments later. For now, I just wanted to check something." I glanced at the pile of books on my desk and then picked up the book Sothis had set down earlier.

"And what is that?" Sothis glanced at the book in my hands and frowned. "Do not tell me you are going to be so foolish as to attempt modifying our crest."

"No. Not now at least."

Messing with the Crest of Flames would come later, after I could be sure I had time to spare and recover.

"I do not like the sound of that," Sothis muttered.

I opened the book. "Anyway, tell me what you think about my hypothesis."

"About crests?"

"That's right."

Sothis sighed. "You know that I do not recall much of my memories."

I nodded. "True. But your intuition is intact. You might not be able to recall anything, but you should be able to sense if they're right or not." Probably. "So, I want to do some fact checking with you." I flipped through the book, glancing at the various crest designs and their descriptions.

"Very well," Sothis said. "If that is your intention, I suppose I have nothing better to do."

"Right. So… look at this." I pointed at the Seiros crest.

"…Yes? That is the Crest of Seiros, is it not?"

"It is. It's also one that Jeralt… that my father should possess. Going by normal inheritance rules, that means that I should have it as well."

"You are aware that crests do not always pass down to descendants, do you not?"

I shook my head. "See, that's where I disagree. Crests… they come from blood. It's similar to blood types, at least that's my hypothesis. The tricky part is in the magical bit." I frowned and looked at the page I stopped on. Specifically at the Crest of Seiros.

"Seiros's crest increases the strength of your techniques. It's why my father is known as the Blade Breaker, at least in part, right?"

"That is obvious, is it not?"

"But _how_ does it do that?" I frowned and flipped through the book before stopping at another page. "The same with the Crest of Blaiddyd. Here it says that crest increases the owner's overall strength to superhuman levels but _how?_ Does it do it by flooding the body with mana? Creating a magical field with adjusted gravity? Tinkering with the laws of the world to modify physics for the owner of the crest?" I tapped at the book and said, "This is vital information here."

Sothis frowned and stared at the book. "I… am unsure. Unsure, but…" Her eyes seemed to drift off for a moment, staring into the distance. "Yes… I believe your words hold some truth. Yet it is not complex as you believe. At the least, our Crest of Flames is not so complex." She looked at me and narrowed her eyes. "_Your_ crest that you so _foolishly_ attempted to create with your nerves is infinitely more complicated than the Crest of Flames or those shared by some of your future students."

I blinked. "Wait, really?"

"Yes." Sothis grabbed the book and flipped to the first page. "I believe I read it earlier… ah, yes. There. 'Crests are power given form, manifestations of the blessings given by the goddess.'" Sothis shook her head. "We know this is not completely true as the ten elites stole the crests from the corpses of my children, but the portion of them being power given form is. At least, that is what my intuition tells me."

I frowned. "Power given form… so is it really just like a 'code' written onto the body? A gene that can be recessive or expressed depending on the circumstances? That doesn't make sense though. If it was based on mana, then my hypothesis on what was lowering the life expectancy makes sense. But if it isn't… hm. I suppose that means Edelgard and Lysithea would be like mutants then? Like how some people were born with an extra chromosome? In that case, the lowered life expectancy was because the body was physically flawed. But they were given another crest- no, in Edelgard's case it was both crests after the fact. How would that…?"

Sothis blinked. "Gene? Chromosome?" She frowned and said, "What are… oh. Oh my. Your world has done… quite a lot in dismantling the human body."

"I would call it 'analyzing', but yes." I closed the book. "In any case, crests… so they're inherent in blood. That blood can be transferred down through children, but it's somewhat rare… or is it? If there's a magical portion, maybe the body just naturally rejected it and shut down the expression? People in this world all have their own bit of mana after all. Or is the blood itself sentient in some manner, only expressing itself in suitable hosts?" I frowned. "…I might need to talk more with Hanneman."

"With that old man? Are you not concerned at what he will do to you?"

"He's a bit… awkward about personal boundaries when dealing with Crests but he isn't _that_ bad."

"Did he not ask the female Byleth to strip while in his office?"

I coughed. "Like I said. A bit awkward, but he means well. And anyway…" I frowned. "I might actually need his help to sort this out." Coming from Earth with an outside perspective, I had a lot of ideas and hypotheses but no test data or equipment to verify them. That was where Hanneman came in. Only… how could I pass that info to him?

Sothis sighed. "If that is what you wish. But… what does this all lead to, Byleth?"

"Hm?"

Sothis gestured towards the book. "The crests. Do not tell me this is a mere passing interest."

"While I can't deny that I'm intrigued at the underlying principles, that's not all." I closed my eyes. "Crests are what drives the conflict in this world… or at least this continent. Because of that, Edelgard was subjected to experiments. Lysithea too. Mercedes was forced to flee with her mother, Jeritza became the Death Knight, Hanneman lost his sister, Sylvain became jaded... The names I could list go on and on. Even myself… or rather, Byleth, fell victim to it. At least in part."

I tapped my chest, where the Crest of Flames originated from. "If I could unravel the workings of Crests, I might be able to do something about the conflict. Tangible results might change Edelgard's goals from dismantling the world by force to simply changing the corrupt nobles. Well, that is ignoring Rhea, but hopefully we can let you handle that."

Sothis nodded along to my words until the last few registered. "Me?!"

I nodded. "You. Rhea is firmly fixated on the thought of bringing you back. If you actually return, you might be able to dissuade her from the more violent reactions… granted, it could go the other way and we could be marked as apostates." A likely scenario, considering her reactions in game. I shook my head and said, "But in that case we just join with Edelgard anyway and dismantle the church with force."

Sothis shook her head. "For someone so intent on saving everyone, you hold quite a negative opinion of my supposed child."

"Yeah, well…"

Memories of Silver Snow, the route I'd bumbled into my first playthrough came to mind. "I might be a bit biased, but my point stands."

"I suppose. Though… that girl and the archbishop are similar, are they not?"

"Hm?"

"Both are seeking to change the status quo by revolution."

"…Maybe." Neither of the two were unjustified in their actions. While the rationale for each was questionable, I could empathize with the origin behind them. "Rhea… I'll try to talk her down. But if worst comes to worst…"

"You will kill her."

"Easily." And that definitely wasn't my grudge from having her be alive but Edelgard dead in most of my playthroughs. Or how most of my characters tended to die when I fought her final form. Especially in Silver Snow. Goddamn monsters and multiple health bars…

Sothis sighed. "Well, do as you must. I have already decided to throw in my lot with you. Even if that Rhea is… was my daughter, that was in a past life."

I smiled. "That's comforting."

Sothis smiled back. "As it should be." She tilted her head, as if listening to something in the distance. "However, you still have quite a bit of time before you must meet the archbishop. Did you have any more theories you wish to discuss?"

I frowned and stared at the crest anthology for a bit longer. "…Not that can be answered by this." I shrugged and pushed the book to the side. After that, I stood up. "Time for some experimentation." I looked over at Sothis and said, "You said I've got thirteen pulses, right?"

"_Five_. No more, no less. And Byleth, if this is anything like last night, then I swear by my name as the Progenitor God, I-

"Relax! It won't be anything dangerous."

Sothis narrowed her eyes. "You said that the first time."

"This time I mean it. I'm just going to try and do a bit of alchemy to get some things that I need. It's just equivalent exchange. With all the ambient mana around, it should be fine. Right?"

"Byleth." Sothis jumped off the desk and marched towards me. "Byleth, do not _dare_-"

"Still, keep a finger ready on that reset button. Just in case."

"BYLETH!"

* * *

I smiled, assured by the flow of power coursing through my body as well as the ease with which I moved. Granted, since this was Byleth's body, that smile of mine looked a bit more sinister than most. A fact I noticed by the quick glances and averted eyes from the students I passed.

Sothis sighed, drifting through the air beside me. "You were fortunate that nothing happened."

My smile widened and I said, "Luck is a skill in and of itself."

"In that game, perhaps. However, this is reality. You cannot improve luck."

"I beg to differ." I'd spent an inordinate amount of times playing gacha games and trying to manipulate the odds just for situations like this.

Sothis rolled her eyes. "While I must admit that your 'fortune' appears greater than average, do not get ahead of yourself. We have yet to determine when the timeline will truly diverge and the feedback you will face when it does."

"If."

"_When."_ Sothis sighed and said, "Honestly. From where do you gain such baseless confidence?"

It was almost noon. Because of that, there were a lot of people milling about now compared to this morning. The knights I saw on patrol this morning were still there, but I saw a lot of students walking around as well, dressed in the Officers Academy uniform.

At the moment, I was walking across the courtyard by my room. It was basically the 'quad' of the campus, like at universities. The central courtyard where the main classrooms were. I had to cross them to get to Rhea's chambers. Well, that was if I wanted to get there quickly. I had to admit that it was a bit awkward doing it in person though. Running across it in the game didn't draw any weird looks, but I was already getting a few odd stares by cutting across the grass instead of following the neatly paved cobblestone path circling it. Still, the sooner I met with Rhea, the sooner I could get the first mission over with.

Sothis smiled and said, "Oh? Anxious to meet your future students, I see."

"Can't say that I'm not," I muttered. "Speaking of that… how are you following me?" I hadn't noticed it at first, but it was impossible to now that she kept talking.

"Is it not obvious? You and I are bound by fate, body, and soul. How would it be that I could not follow you?"

I frowned. "Usually you just stay in Byleth's room-"

"In the _game_. This is _reality_, you fool. A fact that will cause you no small amount of grief if you do not get it through that thick skull of yours soon."

"…Right."

"And do recall that I can hear your thoughts just as well as your speech. Speaking out loud like you are now is drawing quite a few strange looks." Sothis pointed to a few students on the right.

I turned towards them only for them to quickly avert their gazes.

I looked away and kept walking. "Well, it's not like my reputation can get any worse."

Byleth's blank resting expression and inherently composed state of being was bound to draw some unwanted attention. While I wasn't quite so composed, this was a case where the body's natural inclinations outweighed the person's natural inclinations.

In other words, I always looked like I was contemplating how best to dismantle a person even if I was happy. _Especially_ if I was happy.

I blamed my dad.

"While that may be true, I suppose I hold some blame for that. Regardless, it would do you good to make an attempt at behaving as a normal person might."

Me, or rather, Byleth? Normal? Ha.

I shook my head, finally arriving at the doors that opened up to the hall towards Rhea's room. As I reached out to push them open, I heard a voice call out from behind.

"Heya, Boss! Long time no see!"

I turned around to see Claude waving and walking over.

"Didn't expect to see you around here!" He gave me a bright smile and said, "Just heard the news from Manuela. So a professor, huh?"

I waved at him and said, "Good to see you again, Claude. But news from Manuela?" She did mention something about telling the students I was a professor, but she left before she could elaborate on who exactly she planned to tell. "Anyone else know about it?"

In the game, it was just the house leaders, but with how everything was going…

Claude shrugged. "Edelgard and Dimitri ought to know, but I think everyone else is still in the dark. Probably for you to get a feel for them, you know? Wouldn't want you to get the wrong opinion of everybody."

I nodded. "That makes sense."

"Anyway, where are you heading off to?" Claude peered behind me and said, "If you're not busy, want to grab lunch or something? I never did get to finish that talk with you. Oh, and I've got an offer for you that that I'm sure you can't resist." He smiled, that charming expression that converted a good portion of the fanbase to the Golden Deer.

Unfortunately for him, it didn't work on me.

I shook my head and said, "I have to meet with the archbishop first and then make the rounds after. Maybe tomorrow?"

"Darn." Claude shook his head, but his smile didn't fade. "Well, don't be a stranger, Boss! Even if you don't end up our professor, I still owe you one for saving my life. Take care!" With a slight wave, Claude turned around and walked off, heading towards the Golden Deer classroom.

When he was out of earshot, Sothis said, "That Claude… he is a strange one."

I pushed through the doors and started towards the stairs. As for Claude… he really was strange. Charismatic though.

"Oh, there is no doubt there," Sothis said. "However, it would appear that he holds many secrets… among them the fact that he knows you."

Of course. We met the other day, remember? …Don't tell me your amnesia's getting worse?

"How rude! I wanted to be helpful and this is the thanks I receive?"

I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Sorry. Just nervous. I have to decide on a house soon. And make introductions to everyone. And then make lesson plans. And talk to Rhea, Seteth… this day just wouldn't be fun.

Sothis crossed her arms. "…Well, I suppose that can be excused. As I was saying, he seems… familiar with you. No, perhaps not 'you', but with Byleth. That gaze he gave you… hm. The game said the smile does not reach his eyes, correct?"

That sounds about right, yeah.

"Did you not notice his expression? It was a genuine smile there. A flash of recognition as well."

I froze.

…Are you sure?

Sothis frowned. "I… may be mistaken. However, my intuition tells me that Claude knows more than he lets on."

I started walking again.

That was… Interesting. Very interesting. And also dangerous.

A Claude that potentially knew me, or rather, knew Byleth. Did that mean that I wasn't the only one with knowledge of what was to come?

"It would appear that the path you tread will be fraught with many unknown variables."

Good thing that you're here, isn't it?

"Of course." Sothis puffed up her chest and said, "What would you ever do without me?"

Stumble around blindly, resort to brute force time travel, and end up killing everyone in Fodlan?

"…And this is why I am restricting your Divine Pulse uses."


	7. Royalty and Reintroductions

Standing yet again in front of the double doors leading to Rhea's chambers, I pondered for a bit whether to knock or just let myself in. There was still a bit of time before noon since I'd arrived earlier for the meeting out of habit, but now I was stuck with wondering on what to do.

Rhea never seemed to care about it in the game whenever Byleth barged in, so I should be fine doing the same, right? Then again that was a scripted behavior. If I did the same in reality, especially to one of her station… well, she should have a sweet spot for me, since I was the supposed incarnation of her mother, right? So then maybe if I just-

"Come in, Byleth." Rhea's serene voice echoed from beyond the doors.

If I wasn't in Byleth's body, I would have flinched. How did she know it was me? Her Crest?

Sothis sighed. "Did you forget already? You have a scheduled meeting with her. And, knowing her, she must have ensured that there would be no distractions to your meeting. It is only obvious that the one standing here should be you. Honestly, how are you this consistently inconsistent…?"

Right.

I shook my head and then pushed the doors open.

Rhea stood before her throne. Unlike earlier, she was garbed in all her attire as the Archbishop and gave off the imposing atmosphere expected from a leader of a world religion.

When I walked in, Rhea smiled and said, "I hope you have been well."

I nodded. "It's been alright."

"Only alright?" She placed her hand against her cheek and said, "My. It seems that I must put in some effort to change that opinion of yours in the future. You are becoming a member of our staff, after all. It would not do for you to feel uncomfortable in your future home."

Again with the implicit promise that I would be stuck here. Words dressed nicely enough to go unnoticed to a person that wasn't paying attention.

I bit back the retort I had in mind and simply nodded.

Rhea's smile widened and she said, "In any case, I believe you are now aware of your duties?"

"As a professor?"

Rhea's smile faltered a bit and then she nodded. "Yes. As a… professor. Of course."

Well that wasn't ominous at all. Note to self: the moment you get your first free day, start setting up countermeasures around the monastery.

As for responding to Rhea, I said, "Manuela and Hanneman briefed me a bit about it after our meeting this morning."

"Good. It seems that they did as I asked then." Rhea smoothed her expression, as if the previous slip was nothing at all.

An extremely natural transition, along with a flawless smile. If I didn't know better, I might have been fooled into thinking I was seeing things. It didn't help that Rhea was more composed than she was the first time she saw me. That obsessive gleam in her eyes had dimmed, almost unnoticeable. To anyone but Byleth, that is.

Sothis hummed from beside me and said, "It would appear that my supposed daughter is quite perceptive."

Perceptive?

"Quite so," Sothis said. "Have you not noticed? She has carefully composed her actions now, concealing that obsessive nature of hers beneath the benevolent demeanor of the Archbishop like how you hide behind Byleth's blank expression."

…That wasn't good. Did I slip up somewhere?

It was possible. While I was careful and had Byleth's help in acting, I wasn't a trained actor. And with Sothis leaving me to fend for myself during that tea party, I could have let something slip.

"Hm…" Sothis tilted her head and stared at Rhea. "No. I do not believe that is the case. Instead, I believe that she can somewhat sense my presence. Or rather, the activity of the Crest Stone within your chest."

Isn't it dangerous for you to be here then?!

"It will be fine! I am not a goddess in name only. If I wish to remain undetected, I shall. Besides, with the ideas you carried in your heart, I have more than a few means at my disposal to evade notice should I wish it."

…I hope you're not bluffing.

Sothis sighed. "I understand that you come from a world without gods, but have a little faith. And focus. The obsessive one just asked what you thought about your first task being a survey of the students."

Thanks for that.

I nodded, seemingly deep in thought, before saying, "I believe that would be helpful, Lady Rhea. But won't they be guarded against me?"

The archbishop shook her head. "Guarded as they may be, with your age and appearance it is more likely that they will treat you as a future peer. And that would indeed be the most logical reward for a young mercenary, would it not?" Rhea smiled. "It is a perfect opportunity to meet your potential students in their truest state before you take on your position as a professor."

"I suppose."

Rhea nodded and said, "You will be responsible for deciding on the house you wish to lead, so do take the time to become acquainted with your students. Should you have any questions, I believe asking the house leaders would be helpful. They have known the others the longest and would be the best source of information. Well, other than the students themselves."

"Understood."

A tense silence followed before Rhea said, "Is there… anything else you wish to know? Or perhaps anything you wish to ask of me before setting out on your task?"

Sothis immediately cut in. "Be careful with your words! It is too soon to give anything away, and I will be most upset if we must waste a Divine Pulse to rectify your loose tongue!"

Alright, alright. Then… a relatively safe question. Something Byleth would normally be curious about.

I shook my head and said, "Not really. Just… how do you know my father?"

"Jeralt?" Rhea frowned. "Has he never spoken to you of our relationship?"

"Not to my knowledge." Byleth's, at least. Jeralt never freely spoke of his past and Byleth had apparently never been curious enough to ask. Another point to the 'barely reanimated corpse person' headcanon… actually. Was Byleth a lich? I mean, he basically had a phylactery in his chest in the form of the Crest Stone. And the game implied pretty heavily that he died and came back after the fall near the time skip…

"Again!" Sothis said. "Pay attention! I will not always be here to remind you!"

Right. Tangents later, focus now.

Rhea sighed and said, "How rude of him. Though… I suppose it is to be expected after our falling out."

"Falling out?" I purposefully tilted my head and brought my hand to my chin.

Rhea hummed. "That is a tale I believe would be best reserved for your father. He would know the details better than I. As for your first question… Jeralt saved my life when he was quite a bit younger. Around your age, from what I recall." Rhea laughed. "And how clumsy he was. Do not be fooled by his current demeanor. Young Jeralt then was quite a bit bolder and reckless."

"Oh?" Sothis said. "That explains quite a lot of Byleth's behavior, does it not? It would appear that recklessly throwing oneself in the line of danger for a beautiful maiden runs in the Eisner bloodline. Though, that does not explain your own reckless attempt at jumping in front of Edelgard, does it?"

Will you stop bringing that up?

"Not until you learn to cease your delusional behavior and focus on reality. This is no storybook fantasy with a guaranteed ending. Should you lapse in judgment but once, even with my aid, it is highly likely that- No, this is not the time for such a conversation."

It really isn't. Now, could you be quiet for a bit?

"Hmph. Very well. I shall hold my tongue until after your conversation with the obsessive one is complete."

Thanks.

I focused my attention back on Rhea in time to see her shake her head.

"Out of gratitude for Jeralt's brave actions, I inducted him into the Knights of Seiros. His skill and growth eventually led him to become the Captain. As for the rest… well, that is your father's tale to tell." Rhea sighed and said, "In any case, it is almost time for lunch to begin. I suggest you begin making your rounds of introductions now, perhaps share a meal with a student or two? When you have finished, report back here with your decision. Manuela and Hanneman will be present as well so as to confirm the professor assignment for the houses."

"Understood."

"Then… I bid you good luck. And also, do take the time to enjoy yourself. Youth is something that comes once in a lifetime."

* * *

The first people I came across when I left Rhea's room were Alois and Seteth. The two were standing at the bottom of the staircase to the first floor, having a conversation about some bandits.

Alois noticed me walking down the stairs and waved. "Hey there! Just got back from hearing about your duties, I presume?"

I nodded. "That's right. And you're the one that recommended me, right?"

Alois laughed. "That I am! I imagine that you were quite surprised after hearing about it!"

Seteth nodded. "We were all a bit surprised with the Archbishop's decision. And a good afternoon to you, Byleth."

"Same to you, Seteth."

I returned the advisor's greeting with a small wave. Thankfully, whether because he had a chat with Rhea or he had decided to give me a chance, he didn't seem too suspicious and scrutinizing. Granted, he was still a bit aloof, but it was better that than hostile.

"Well," Alois said. "We had another candidate in mind, but he ran off in that last tussle. Can't have someone like that teaching the kids now, can we? They'd find it impossible to trust a professor that ran off on them once."

"Makes sense." A curt reply. Clipped.

An awkward silence followed.

Alois coughed and said, "So, are you planning to make the rounds to check on the students?"

"That's the plan."

The knight grinned and gave me a thumbs up. "Good luck!"

"Thanks."

I stood around for a bit, but after an awkward silence where nobody said anything, I walked off.

When we were out of earshot from the two, Sothis appeared beside me and sighed. "How is it that you can manage to make such a simple interaction so… stifling?"

Just channeling my inner Byleth.

"I can see that. Still… why now of all times?"

Honestly? I don't know how to interact around those two. I never really got into Alois's support conversations and since standing by Edelgard meant fighting Seteth and Flayn, I made a point to not get too emotionally attached to them.

"That is… surprisingly logical of you. And here I had thought it was for a childish reason."

Thanks. I do my best.

"As you should." Sothis nodded and said, "Then are you planning to take a look at the children now?"

I nodded and walked out the doors leading to the courtyard. Since it was lunch, there were lots of students walking around now. While I was still in my mercenary outfit, since Byleth never really understood the notion of casual wear, it seemed like I blended in with the crowd. At least, there were too many people around for them to stare at me too long. Having a youthful appearance in a school setting paid off again, I guess.

"…Should I ask how you know that fact?"

Don't worry about it.

As I walked around the paved path towards the classrooms, a familiar flash of red caught my eye. Edelgard stood beneath one of the pillars lining the connection between the main hall that I just left and the classroom buildings.

The princess looked troubled. Well, to me at least. Her face was objectively neutral, the cold and aloof gaze befitting of someone in her station. However, I could see the slight hint of worry in the way her eyes moved, as if seeking out answers from her surroundings.

Again, Byleth's keen insight paid off.

There was a very noticeable space around Edelgard, the students going out of their way to avoid her.

"…And yet again, you go out of your way to accommodate the princess." Sothis sighed. "Honestly, why am I surprised? As logical as you can be, when matters concern her, you act so irrationally."

I ignored Sothis's words, even though they were right. Instead, I walked over towards Edelgard and waved. "Good afternoon, Edelgard. Or is it Miss Hresvelg?"

"Hm?" Edelgard glanced up. For a split second, she was confused, a mix of emotions flashing through her eyes. After that split second, however, the emotions resolved into joy and a small smile emerged on her face. "We meet again, Byleth. Or should I say, Professor?"

"Professor is a bit early. Haven't decided on a house quite yet."

Sothis scoffed and said, "Liar."

Again, I ignored her and focused on Edelgard.

The princess shook her head. "Regardless, I suppose I should congratulate you on your new tenure." She sighed. "But what a pity. I had hoped that your talents would lead you to the Empire. And there was still the manner of you saving me… a debt must be repaid."

I stared at Edelgard for a moment.

She stared back, her violet eyes steady but curious. The look of a courteous young woman.

It was such a deceptive appearance. Calm, but fragile. While a bit too serious for her own good, there wasn't anything about her that betrayed her intentions. Even so, this was the same person responsible for the bandit attack on her fellow lords. The one who set aside her personal vendetta against the Agarthans to align with them and fulfill her goal. The one who placed herself in front of everyone else because she didn't believe that anyone would walk alongside her. _Could_ walk alongside her.

Sothis hummed and said, "So _that_ is why you favor her. I see…"

What?

Sothis shook her head. "Nothing. Merely the musings of a goddess. Pay it no mind."

"Byleth?" Edelgard said. "Is something the matter?"

I frowned and put my hand on my chin to think. "…If you are serious about repaying the debt," I said. "I wouldn't mind if you told me more about the Black Eagles."

"Hm?" Edelgard blinked. "Is that… all you want?" She shook her head. "Surely you can think of a better reward than that? I _am_ the heir to the Adrestrian Empire."

I shrugged. "I just obtained tenure at the most prestigious school in all of Fodlan. The pay's decent and stable in comparison to the life of a mercenary. Can't say that there's much more I could want." …Other than for you to abandon the Agarthans and reach out a hand to those around you who would be willing to help. But baby steps first.

"Is that so? While it is far from enough compensation, I can grant you that minor request at least." Edelgard nodded and said, "Is there anyone in particular you wish to hear about?"

"Well…" I trailed off. Did I want to know more about anyone in particular? I still had a pretty handle on everyone in the Black Eagles. On the other hand, it would be a suspicious to not ask anything now with what I just said.

"Again," Sothis said. "When it comes to her, you-"

Are irrational, delusional, yada, yada. Got it. In any case, what should I ask about? No, who should I ask about…?

Edelgard noticed my hesitation and said, "Should I begin by stating who is in our class?"

I nodded. "That would be helpful."

Leave it to Edelgard to pick up the slack. Maybe that was what I should be doing now, just let others fill in the silence for me. Actually, that was what Byleth mostly did, didn't he?

"Very well." Edelgard placed her hand against the chin and hummed. "To begin with, there are eight of us in the Black Eagles including myself. In no particular order, they are Hubert, Ferdinand, Linhardt, Caspar, Bernadetta, Dorothea, and Petra." She frowned. "However, that is… not truly an adequate explanation, is it?"

I went over what I remembered of the Black Eagles.

Hubert, Edelgard's shadowy retainer that gave strong Severus Snape vibes.

Ferdinand, the self-assured and questionably arrogant guy with orange hair that sought to become the definition of Noblesse Oblige.

Linhardt, the sleepy night owl who obsessively studied crests and ignored pretty much everything else.

Caspar, the upbeat and punchy guy who reminded me of a shounen protagonist.

Bernadetta, the shy girl with severe social anxiety as a result of her father's 'discipline'. Gotta remember to off that guy at some point…

Dorothea, the former idol who gave up her career to secure her future, knowing that her beauty and talent would only last so long.

And Petra, the princess of Brigid with a misunderstanding of idioms and proper syntax due to being unfamiliar with the local language. Also extremely lethal and lithe, able to dodge most attacks that went her way.

"Professor?" Edelgard stared at me, frowning. "Should I go into more detail?"

"Hm… that should be fine. The names are good enough. I wouldn't want to be biased by hearing about them from you." A flimsy excuse, but one that was somewhat reasonable.

"Oh?" Edelgard smiled. "It seems that I underestimated you. To think that you would go so far in your duty as a professor… How admirable. While my peers are-"

I held up my hand. "Enough. As one in the process of determining his future house, I'd appreciate maintaining an unbiased view of everyone before deciding."

Sothis coughed. "Hypocrite."

I ignored the goddess in favor of the princess standing in front of me.

Edelgard raised her eyebrow, amusement clear in her eyes, and then said, "Very well. And thank you."

"Hm?"

"That is to say…" Edelgard frowned. "It is… refreshing? Yes, that is the word. It is refreshing to meet one like you." She sighed. "Rarely do I find one so impartial about meeting others. Truthfully, I had expected you to change how you acted after learning of our identities. And yet here you are, bluntly interrupting the future heir of the Adrestrian Empire."

Huh. She had a point. Maybe I was taking things a bit too lightly around her. Sothis was probably spot on about me clinging too tightly to the belief that everything was going to be like the game. Still… "Should I have held back? Throw on fake mannerisms and pretend to placate you with flowery language and doubletalk?"

"No, no." Edelgard shook her hand. "Like I said, it's refreshing." Her expression dimmed and she said, "These days I find those willing to speak to me on equal grounds becoming fewer and fewer. To have someone like you, even if a bit… blunt, is something I am extremely grateful for."

"Well, I wouldn't be too grateful yet. You haven't seen the assignments I give out."

A small smile appeared on Edelgard's face. "True enough. Ah, but I shouldn't keep you much longer." She glanced up at the sky and said, "We've been talking for quite some time. I wouldn't want you to miss your chance to meet the other students."

I nodded. "In that case, have a good day, Edelgard."

"To you as well, Byleth."

She waved farewell and then headed towards the chapel.

…The chapel?

For a brief moment, I considered following her. It was an odd location for her to be visiting. However-

"The girl has a point, Byleth. Daylight burns while you stand here." Sothis called out to me. "At this rate, you may not even get to introduce yourself to the other lords, let alone all the students."

True.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go on." Sothis floated behind me and pushed my back.

* * *

I arrived at the courtyard in front of the three house classrooms. Students milled about, idling after lunch and interacting with each other. Socializing… or I suppose in this setting, making connections for the future.

Still, I couldn't help but feel like this was just an ordinary campus back on Earth. Except it wasn't. A fact that I seemed to have to keep reminding myself recently.

Maybe I hadn't quite accepted that I would never go back yet… Well, as Jeralt said, the battlefield was no place for idle thoughts. And right now I was very much in a battlefield, though one fought through concealing and showing certain information rather than crossing blades.

"Hey!" A calm and suave male voice called out to me. It was familiar, one I had heard earlier that day.

I turned towards it to see Claude walking over, his golden cloak drifting behind him. He smiled and gave me a lazy wave. "Didn't expect to see you so soon again, Boss. Or should I say, Teach?"

I nodded back. "Claude."

Claude laughed. "As nonchalant as ever I see." He laced his fingers behind his head and said, "Since you're all the way over here, I'm guessing you're making the rounds to scope out each class?"

"No. I'm planning to murder each and every one of you before you can become a threat to me in the near future."

A split second. For that brief time, Claude's smile faltered and his eyes turned cold, filled with killing intent. Yet, it vanished as quickly as it arrived, so short that anyone would have thought they were imagining things. He laughed it off and said, "Good one, Boss! Had me going for a minute there."

Tch. It seemed like it would take more than that to throw Claude off. I guess Edelgard was just too easy. Though, that reaction was another point in the 'he knows too much' bucket for Claude.

"I hope that doesn't mean you're going to bury us in tests," Claude said. "I mean, you like us more than that, right? Haven't I made a good impression on you?"

I nodded. "You have. Which is why I'll give you the noble task of giving me the names of everyone in your house."

"Recon, eh Boss? Normally I'd refuse out of principle… but for you I guess I could make an exception." He frowned and said, "But why just the names…? Normally you would- No, never mind. You've probably got your reasons."

Another mark towards the 'he knows too much' box. Claude seemed oddly trusting of me for someone known to be cold and calculating. I mean, that was supposed to change during the plot of Verdant Wind, but for him to seem so implicitly trusting now… Odd. Very odd.

"Where should I start?" Claude laced his hands around the back of his head and said, "Obviously there's me, but you know that. Hm… well, we've got 'Lorenz Helman Gloucester'. There's Raphael and Ignatz. Lysithea, Marianne… Hilda too. Leonie, and… I think that's it, actually."

I nodded and went over the names in my head.

Lorenz, the aspiring 'true noble' who should currently be sporting an unfortunate haircut.

Raphael, the sunny guy who aspired to become the best knight and had an obsessive habit of training his muscles.

Ignatz, the other aspiring knight with a hidden talent towards painting.

Lysithea, the youngest of the year's students and one of the brightest… though that was because she was essentially burning herself at both ends to keep that role.

Marianne, the quiet and meek girl who quietly prayed for the goddess to take her every day out of the belief that her crest brought misfortune.

Hilda, the definitely not delicate flower who avoided work because she didn't want to fail to meet anyone's expectations.

And… Leonie. The one with an unhealthy obsession about being Jeralt's best apprentice.

…No. I shouldn't be biased. Maybe the game was just poorly designed that way. This was reality, so hopefully she was more reasonable and less annoying?

"Boss?" Claude called out. "You alright?"

I nodded. "Just memorizing the names. Thanks, by the way."

"You're welcome? But are you seriously good with just their names? I mean, I can give you a brief-"

"It's fine. I don't want to be biased before meeting them."

"Oh?" Claude smiled. "Didn't take you to be so open-minded, Boss. Though, I guess you are treating me the same after learning who I am."

"Did you expect anything else?"

"Mm." Claude shrugged. "Guess not. Can't imagine you acting any other way. But since you've so callously tossed me aside, I suppose you'll be heading over to talk to Mitri?"

"…Mitri?"

"Dimitri. You know, blonde, tall, noble prince? The guy that can punch holes in people's chests with a spear?"

"I figured but I didn't know you were on nickname basis."

"Ah, well…" Claude glanced over into the distance.

I followed his gaze.

Dimitri stood a little bit in front of the Blue Lions classroom, casually watching people pass by with an easy smile on his face and appearing to be the epitome of a fairytale prince.

Claude leaned over and whispered, "Don't let him hear that I called him that, alright? I don't want to get launched across the training grounds later."

"No promises."

Claude leaned back and grabbed his chest. "What? Boss, I'm hurt! I thought we had a better relationship than that!"

"…Right. I'll be leaving now."

"Oh, I see how it is. Abandon me for prince charming. Should've expected it." His words were spiteful, but the playful tone and wink he gave lessened the sting.

I waved him farewell and then headed over towards Dimitri.

At the same time, I made a mental checklist of everybody I had to scope out. I still had a good handle on everyone, but getting the names from the lords helped me cross-reference things. Also, it helped jog my memory since the last route I'd played was Crimson Flower and I'd barely done any recruiting for that ending.

What do you think, Sothis? …Sothis?

I paused and glanced at my surroundings. This was about the time where Sothis chimed in, but the goddess didn't seem to be anywhere nearby. Did she get bored and head off to my room already?

Before I had too much time to think about where the goddess had gone, Dimitri had noticed me. The blonde prince waved and walked over to meet me halfway to the classroom.

"Byleth!" Dimitri said. "A pleasure to see you again." He smiled and said, "I heard the news from Professor Manuela. Is it true that you'll be teaching one of our houses?"

"That's right." I nodded. "Because of that, I'm making the rounds to get to know each student. It's a secret though."

"Ah, understood." Dimitri nodded. "I do hope that you decide on our house, but far be it from me to prejudice you before you've had the chance to experience it for yourself. It is a pity, however. I would have been honored to have one as incredible as you siding with the Kingdom."

I raised an eyebrow. "You make it seem like I'll become an enemy." Dimitri probably didn't mean anything by it, but maybe the Boar's instincts were entrenched deeper than I thought if he was subconsciously considering it.

"No, no." Dimitri shook his head. "That's not what I intended. It's just… I had hoped to have a bit more personal interaction between us. Though I suppose your new role would allow for the same thing." He tilted his head and said, "I presume you're going to each house leader to get a briefing on each student?"

"Just the names."

"Just the names?" Dimitri frowned. "Will that not make it difficult to determine who is part of each house?"

"It's better this way."

Dimitri shrugged. "Well, far be it from me to anticipate your plans. Will a simple list suffice?"

I nodded.

"Very well. Then… ah, but do not place any importance on the order I state the names. It is not that I weigh anybody in a particular manner, but simply that it is the order in which I recall the names."

"Got it."

"Then I will begin. First off we have Dedue. He… ahem. Next is Felix and Sylvain... Then there is Ashe and Ingrid. Finally, there is Mercedes and Annette."

It was amusing watching Dimitri list the names. Unlike Claude and Edelgard, it looked like he had to physically restrain himself from giving more information on each person. Knowing how he introduced them in the game, always praising his peers, it must have been a minor sort of torture for him to not say anything else.

"Will that be all, Byleth?"

"That will be all."

And now would be the introductions with the rest of the class… or not? Maybe I should just skip everyone and report back to Rhea? But she'd probably double check what I did… argh, where's Sothis when you need her? Was this how people in Fodlan normally felt when things went wrong? After all, they weren't fortunate to be on talking basis with the actual source of their religion…

"In that case," Dimitri said. "I bid you good luck on the rest of your introductions. Ah, and thank you once again for your aid the other day. Know that I will not so shortly forget your efforts."

"Don't worry about it-"

Dimitri shook his head. "I'm afraid I must. Without you, it is uncertain whether we would have made it out alive. And even if we had, whether it would be unscathed would be a different question altogether." Dimitri smiled. "Thus, I thank you, Byleth. Should you ever need something, regardless of whether you become our house's professor or not, do not hesitate to ask. Upon my name as Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, I swear I will do all that is in my power to help."

It was a heartfelt statement, almost like a confession. Faced with that, I didn't really know how to respond. Still, I had to do something, so I nodded and put on a slim smile. "I will keep that in mind, Dimitri."

"Ah." He seemed stunned by my expression.

I immediately dropped my smile. "Then I bid you good day."

"Y-yes. Good day, Byleth."

As I walked away, I fervently hoped that support ranks hadn't carried over. A crushing Edelgard was something I could handle. Dimitri, however…

Dammit Sothis. Where did you run off to?


	8. In Cherished Halls

**Author's Notes:**

Apparently FFN goofed on me and didn't show that I updated this story yesterday when I did. Maybe I uploaded it too early in the day and the server didn't rollover? Either way, if you haven't read chapter 7, this is a friendly reminder to do so.

Also, I hope the exposition isn't too boring. I'm trying to flesh everything out for things in the long run, since I've got a feeling this story is going to be pretty expansive.

Anyway, enjoy.

* * *

I was worried about where Sothis had gone, but I didn't have the time to spare thinking about it. Or rather, it would look suspicious for me to suddenly stop talking to everyone and just scope out the monastery.

Plan B it was then.

For now, I had to finish my introductions and then head out on a walk around the monastery. I would be pretending to familiarize myself with its layout, but really I would be using the time to search for my wayward goddess.

Since I'd left Dimitri behind in the middle of the courtyard with the excuse to introduce myself to everybody, I decided to start my introductions with the Blue Lions.

Each of the classrooms around the courtyard were marked by banners hung alongside their entrances. Blue for the Blue Lions, red for the Black Eagles, and yellow for the Golden Deer.

I was already halfway towards the Blue Lions classroom, so it didn't take long to walk the rest of the way there.

Was it because I'd been seen talking to the three lords without any hesitation, or because the three lords seemed to not mind my interaction? Either way, I noticed that, once again, I was getting a lot of stares. This time, however, I noted that instead of fear or worry, there were a few hints of admiration as well.

Hm… Maybe that explained the cheerful greetings from the NPCs in the game when you ran past them. It was a bad idea to upset someone who was on friendly terms with the future leaders of Fodlan's major powers. Instead, it was best to stay on their good side and hope that some of that influence would rub off on you.

Or maybe I was just being cynical about everything.

When I arrived at the front of the Blue Lions classroom, I noticed that it was surprisingly empty.

The layout of the classroom itself wasn't too different from a college lecture hall. There was a chalkboard directly to my right as I entered, though freshly cleaned and still untouched by lecture notes. On my left, there were rows of tables and chairs for the future students of the house. Directly in front of me, framed inside the stone wall, there were windows that looked out the backside of the building to the dorms on the west side of the monastery.

"Oh? And who's this?" A soft and light voice called out to me.

Turning towards it, I saw a young woman with long blond hair. Like all students, she wore the typical uniform of the Officers Academy. However, unlike the others, she had on what looked like a small beige cape tied around her shoulders. Or maybe it was a small blanket? From the woman's kind and warm smile, as well as the apparent coziness of the cloth, it could have been either.

Beside her, there was another student. A girl with orange hair set in bangs and some weird twin tails that ended in a loop on either side. Unlike the other student in the room, that girl wore the typical uniform without any modifications.

They looked a bit different in person, but I could still recognize the pair of best friends for who they were: Mercedes and Annette.

I made a show of looking around the classroom- no, it was more intentional than being just a show. Where was everybody? This should be around the time where the students from each house were waiting in the classes for the professors, right?

While a bit flustered from having my immediate plans derailed, I walked over to the two best friends and held out my right hand. "Byleth Eisner. I've just arrived here at the monastery."

Mercedes gave a sweet smile and took my hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Byleth! I'm Mercedes, but you can call me Mercie!" She tilted her head and said, "Are you joining the Blue Lions house as well?"

Before I could answer, Annette jumped in. "Ooh, Mercie! I think he's the mercenary that Dimitri was talking about earlier!"

"Now Annette. It's a bit rude to talk about someone when they're standing right here."

"Right. Sorry, sorry." Annette turned to me and said, "I'm just a bit nervous. First day and all, you know? I've got those pre-class jitters, full of energy!" She shook her head. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you! I'm Annette!"

I finished my handshake with Mercedes and held out my hand to Annette. "Nice to meet you too, Annette."

She took my hand with a smile and said, "You aren't wearing a uniform, so are you still deciding on which house to join?"

"Something like that." I looked around the room and said, "Where is everyone, anyway? I met Dimitri outside, but I haven't seen anyone from the Blue Lions other than you two."

"Oh, that's probably because they left already." Annette let go of my hand and then placed her hand on her chin. "I think Ashe and Dedue went to the greenhouse. Felix said something about training with the weapons instructor. Sylvain said something about wanting to meet new people and I think Ingrid's went out to lunch. She seemed kind of hungry." She glanced towards Mercedes and said, "Did I miss anyone, Mercie?"

Mercedes shook her head. "No. I think that's all, Annie." She turned back to me and said, "Ah! Speaking of lunch, we were about to head to the dining hall. Would you like to come join us, Byleth?"

"Ooh, that's right!" Annette smiled and said, "I'd love to hear all about how you helped out Dimitri the other day! He told us about how calm and collected you were, but I want to hear the details from the person himself!"

I blinked. Mercedes and Annette… really were a bundle of sunshine, weren't they? I'd barely introduced myself and they were already inviting me out to lunch. You'd think they'd be a bit more cautious considering my blank expression and me being a mercenary and all, but I guess that either Dimitri really talked me up or the two were just naturally trusting of people.

I wished I could be as optimistic as them, but considering how things had turned out for me…

I sighed and said, "I wish I could, but I have to report back to the Archbishop with my decision later. I'll probably grab something quick at the dining hall before making the rounds to introduce myself to everyone else."

Honestly, hanging out with Mercedes and Annette seemed like it'd be a great time. The two were nice enough, at least.

"Aw." Annette frowned. "I was looking forward to hearing about what it's like being a mercenary."

"Now Annette, there will be plenty of time for that later." Mercedes placated her friend and then said, "We can't keep Byleth up for too long. He's a very busy person."

"You're right Mercie." Annette turned towards me and said, "It was nice meeting you, Byleth! Have fun meeting everyone else!"

I nodded. "I will. And enjoy lunch, you two."

"Take care of yourself, Byleth!" Mercedes smiled and then left the classroom, Annette trailing behind her.

Standing in the empty classroom, I sighed. "Maybe I'll have better luck in the other classes?"

I'd been hoping to get the introductions done in one go, but I was starting to get an inkling that I'd have to do a run around the whole campus before I was done.

"…I couldn't be that unlucky, could I?"

* * *

The next stop was the Golden Deer classroom. It was directly to the left of the Blue Lions, so I didn't have to walk far to reach it. But also because it was so close, I could hear the conversations coming from it. Or rather, the distinct lack of conversation that should be coming from the liveliest house of the bunch.

But maybe they were just busy? With that faint hope in my heart, I walked inside the classroom.

The layout was the same as for the Blue Lions, chalkboard to the right, tables to the left, windows in front. The only major difference was in the two students sitting inside.

At the front of the room, seated at a table with a small tower of books, was a young girl with long white hair. Her eyes, a curious shade of red, were narrowed in concentration as she flipped through a thick tome filled with what looked like mathematical proofs.

A few seats to the right of the girl was a young man with greenish-blond hair styled in a bowl cut. Circle-lensed glasses framed his light brown eyes. Like the girl, he was engrossed in reading as well. Though from the title of his book,_ Influential Knights throughout Time_, it seemed that he was studying something else.

The young man was the first to notice me walk in. He closed his book and then got out of his seat before heading towards me. "Hello! Are you another student of the Golden Deer?" He shook his head and said, "I'm afraid most of us have already gone out for lunch or to explore the monastery, but I can help guide you around if you'd like."

Before I could respond, the white-haired girl let out a sigh and closed her book. "Have you looked at his attire, Ignatz? He's clearly not a student."

"Oh. I suppose you're right, Lysithea." The young man… Ignatz shook his head. "I guess I wasn't paying enough attention."

Lysithea rolled her eyes and set her book down on the table. "Must I do everything?" She shook her head and walked towards me. She stopped a few paces away and said, "In any case, you must be the skilled mercenary that Claude mentioned."

"Skilled mercenary?" Ignatz said. "Oh, that's right!" He turned towards me and said, "I apologize for not recognizing you sooner."

I shook my head. "It's fine. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"No, not at all!" Ignatz held out his right hand and said, "My name's Ignatz Victor. My parents are Alliance merchants, but I'm studying to become a knight. It's an honor to meet you."

I grabbed his hand. "The honor is mine, Ignatz. I'm Byleth Eisner."

Lysithea inclined her head towards me and said, "And I am Lysithea von Ordelia. Please do not forget it."

I finished the handshake with Ignatz and returned Lysithea's greeting. "I'll remember it, Lysithea."

Ignatz looked at me and said, "Anyway, what brings you here, Byleth? If you're looking for Claude, he just walked outside a few minutes ago."

I nodded. "I noticed. I met him on the way here, actually. But that's not why I'm here."

"Oh? Then why-"

Lysithea sighed. "Would you let Byleth get a word in before interrupting, Ignatz? Honestly. There is a difference between trying to be helpful and being pushy."

Ignatz frowned. "That's uncalled for, Lysithea. I'm just trying to-"

I coughed before the conversation could derail any further and said, "I was wondering where the rest of the Golden Deer were. As I said, I caught Claude outside, but I was under the impression the rest of you would be in here."

"I see!" Ignatz nodded. "I can help you with that."

Lysithea tilted her head and said, "May I ask why you are looking for the other Golden Deer? Could it be that you intend to join our house?"

"Something like that. I'm trying to get a feel for everyone before reporting back to the archbishop with my decision."

Lysithea nodded. "That makes sense. And thank you for satisfying my curiosity. Now, if you will excuse me, I must return to my studies." She glance at Ignatz and said, "Since my peer seems so eager to aid you, I will allow him to answer any questions you may have." With that said, Lysithea returned to her seat and cracked open her book again.

Ignatz sighed and shook his head. It looked like he wanted to say something back to Lysithea, but instead he turned towards me and said, "Was there anybody you wanted to find in particular, Byleth?"

"Hm…" Lysithea was being a bit rude, but I guess it made sense with her backstory. Ignatz was more polite than I expected, but maybe that was due to Claude's influence. Still, everyone seemed to be what I remembered so far…

"Byleth?"

I shook my head and said, "Sorry. I was just thinking." I looked at Ignatz and said, "Do you happen to know where everyone is?"

"Everyone?" Ignatz frowned and tilted his head. "Hm… Well I know that Raphael went to talk with the Knights of Seiros to learn more about being a knight. You might find him in the east side of the monastery around where the knights train. Leonie went along with him since she was curious about it and wanted to talk with Captain Jeralt- Ah. But that's your father, isn't it?"

I nodded. "That's right." I paused and said, "Why, do we not look related?"

Ignatz nodded. "Not really. Well…" He frowned and said, "Now that I look at you, I can see the resemblance. Your hair color is different, but you two have similar eyes. Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude…"

"No, it's fine. I was just curious." The game didn't do much to show the resemblance between Byleth and his father, so I wondered if the same was true now. It seemed like it wasn't though… maybe I'd have to take a closer look at my reflection later.

"Anyway," Ignatz said. "Let's see… Hilda decided to take a walk, and I think Lorenz went with her. As for Marianne, she mentioned something about taking a look at the horses. I think?" He shook his head and said, "Sorry I couldn't be more helpful."

"That's plenty enough." I waved at him and said, "Well, don't keep me from your reading. I've got people to meet and not much time to do so."

Ignatz smiled. "Take care, Byleth! It was nice meeting you!"

"You too, Ignatz. And take care, Lysithea."

A brief wave was the only response from the young girl.

I shook my head, mildly amused at how childish she was despite her attempts otherwise, and then left.

* * *

The last classroom I had to visit was the Black Eagles. Unlike the others, it was on the far end of the courtyard. While still on the same side as the other houses, it was set apart, as if reinforcing its supposed superiority.

By now I had resigned myself to the fact that I'd have to run around the entire monastery if I wanted to meet everyone. Not that I minded too much, since it gave me an excuse to look for Sothis. Still, I hoped that there would be at least a few more of the Black Eagles inside than the other classrooms, if only so that I didn't have to waste so much time chasing everyone down.

…Again, if only Sothis were here. She'd be a great help in making sure I didn't waste unnecessary time looking for people. Or waste time find her, for that matter. Unfortunately, at the moment she was very much an absentee goddess like the deities on Earth.

As I drew near the Black Eagles classroom, I heard a voice.

"I must applaud you, Bernadetta. I know how much of a struggle it is for you to leave your room, and so I appreciate you overcoming your fears to show your support for the Black Eagles."

I blinked. The voice was unfamiliar. Male, and somewhat dignified. Still, from the context and by process of elimination… Ferdinand?

A low grumble followed his words and then a female voice said, "Don't remind me! If it wasn't for the fact that Edelgard promised to get me a cake, I wouldn't be here!" She groaned and said, "When is the professor going to arrive? I want to go already!"

"Ah, that is…"

I walked into the classroom and took a look around. Like the other houses, it consisted of desks, a chalkboard, and a row of windows. Interestingly enough, I could see my own room through the windows, a fact I'd have to keep in mind for the future. Also like the other classrooms, there were two students waiting inside.

Standing near the front row of desks closest to the door, and in turn me, there was a young man with slightly wavy orange hair, parted from right to left. He wore the typical male Officers Academy uniform and had a dignified and confident air about him.

The other student was a girl with lavender-colored hair. She sat in the desk directly in front of the orange-haired young man. However, her demeanor was almost the opposite of her peer, slouched and curled up in her chair. As for her clothes, she wore the Officers Academy uniform as well, but had taken to modifying it by adding a blue hood, similar to the sweatshirts back on Earth.

It was the girl who noticed me first. She screamed and quickly pulled up her hood. "Ah! A stranger!"

Before I could get in a word edgewise, she had already buried her face in her arms against the desk.

The young man sighed and shook his head. "Bernadetta. This is no mere stranger." He turned towards me and said, "I apologize for her behavior. This is a… stressful time for her."

"I can see that."

Bernadetta let out a muffled sound and somehow drew herself even closer together.

The young man stuck out his right hand towards me and said, "I am Ferdinand von Aegir, legitimate son of the Aegir family, foremost house of the Empire." He tilted his head and said, "I believe that I know your identity, but may I ask for your name?"

I grabbed his hand and said, "Byleth Eisner. I'm guessing Edelgard already mentioned me?"

Ferdinand shook my hand and then said, "Yes. Edelgard has regaled us with quite a few tales of your daring exploits the other day. I can only express sorrow at your decision to not align with the Empire. Even as a mercenary, such skill and chivalry would be more than welcomed in a house such as my own."

Leave it to Ferdinand von Aegir to assume that I'd be joining his house. That confidence bordered arrogance… but it was what made him charming, in part. Especially seeing his change after the time skip.

I lowered my hand and said, "Well, being a knight isn't really my cup of tea."

Ferdinand nodded. "I can understand why. After the freedom of a mercenary, I suppose that it would be stifling to serve under a house, even one as prominent as the Aegir family."

I glanced over at Bernadetta. "And she is…?"

Ferdinand turned towards her and said, "Bernadetta. Are you sure that you do not wish to introduce yourself to our friend, Byleth?"

A muffled scream was her response.

Ferdinand sighed and said, "I suppose that was too much to ask. In any case, she is Bernadetta, eldest daughter of the… esteemed Count Varley." His nose wrinkled a bit at the end and then he said, "I would ask that you excuse her. She is not used to so much attention."

Count Varley… the obsessive 'father' that turned Bernadetta into the anxious wreck curled up at the desk in front of me. Someone that Ferdinand disapproved of enough to show a visible sign of disgust, albeit subtle.

Another reminder of exactly how messed up Fodlan's political climate was and how the entrenched value of the Crests in its society drove people to ridiculous lengths.

"In any case," Ferdinand said. "What brings you here, Byleth? If you seek Edelgard, I believe she mentioned that she had to draft a missive back to her uncle."

"…Her uncle?"

Ferdinand nodded. "Yes, Lord Arundel… ah. But you are a mercenary. I suppose you would not know the inner workings of the upper society in the Empire nor the major figures." He frowned and said, "Shall I give you an explanation while you are here? It will be long, but by the time I am through, I can assure you that you will be the equal of any among us here in the Black Eagles when it comes to understanding the power dynamics of the Empire."

Leave it to Ferdinand von Aegir to go out of his way to educate someone. Though, isn't it a bit dangerous to up and announce the power dynamics of the most powerful nation to a no-name mercenary like me?

I wanted to point that out to Ferdinand, but instead decided to say, "I appreciate the thought, but I think that'd be better saved for another time." Particularly when I was prepared to take notes to plan how to take out Thales and deal with the political fallout of assassinating a major figure in the Adrestrian Empire.

Speaking of Thales… why was Edelgard sending him a message now? Did it have to do something with the way I saved her? Or maybe this happened in game and just wasn't addressed? It would explain why she was headed to the chapel since the messenger pigeons were kept near there. But then why-

No. Think about that later. For now, I had to make the rounds, finish my introductions, and find Sothis. As the new face in the monastery, while I didn't notice any observers right now, I didn't doubt that Rhea had people lying in wait surveying my every move.

…Hm. Was that why Sothis went missing? Did she anticipate something like this would happen and decide to go off on her own to confirm her suspicions?

Well, whatever the case, I'd find out soon enough. Hopefully.

"Understandable," Ferdinand said. "It would indeed be quite the long lecture. Ah, but you never answered my question, Byleth. If it is not Edelgard you seek, for what reason did you come to our house classroom? Could it be that you are seeking to transfer to our esteemed house after all?"

I fell back on the same excuse I'd been using so far and said, "Something like that. I wanted to get a feel for the Black Eagles before making my decision."

"I see. How diligent of you." Ferdinand nodded and said, "Unfortunately, as you can see, most of us have since dispersed across the campus. While I know that Caspar mentioned something about visiting the training grounds, I cannot tell you where the others are." Ferdinand bowed and said, "My apologies. Were it that I knew more, I would tell you."

I shook my head. "That's fine."

I'd just have to treat this like an extended fetch quest then. Couldn't be as bad as the one where I had to trade up for a two-toned whetstone at least.

"I needed to get familiar with the monastery anyway." And find Sothis.

"In that case, I wish you luck on your search, Byleth." Ferdinand glanced at Bernadetta and said, "I will be here to keep Bernadetta company until the others return… Ah. There is that." He glanced back at me and said, "I believe that there is a mandatory meeting for each house a few hours prior to dinnertime. If you cannot find my peers, I believe they will have returned here by then."

"Thanks Ferdinand."

He bowed and said, "It is the least I can do as compensation for saving our house leader and future Emperor."

With a wave farewell to Ferdinand and a muffled goodbye from Bernadetta, I left the Black Eagles classroom and once again stepped onto the grassy courtyard between the three house buildings and the main hall.

A quick glance at the sun and wracking my mind to calculate the time told me that I'd only spent about an hour since leaving Rhea.

In that time period, I'd learned that Sothis had gone missing, Claude was a potential time-traveler, Edelgard had gone off to send a mysterious message, and that the straight-forward introductions I had in mind had become a fetch quest across the academy.

"...Let's hope things don't derail any worse than this." Muttering those words to myself, I started walking towards the training grounds.

* * *

**Author's Note 2:**

P.S. Anyone else think that Lysithea and Ignatz give off Hermione and Harry vibes, or is that just me?


	9. In Peaceful Days

Before heading to the training ground, I decided to stop by my room. It was along the way there, and also the most likely that Sothis could be if she had finished doing whatever she was doing.

Again, I passed by countless students roaming the monastery along my walk. People called out to me with greetings, but since they weren't any of the main characters, I simply nodded back.

That was probably what Byleth did in the game anyway.

When I arrived in front of my room, I noticed something poking out from underneath the door. The ripped corner from a piece of paper.

I froze for a brief moment before unlocking and opening the door.

It swung open soundlessly, revealing the room as I left it: papers strewn everywhere from when I was studying last night, my bed untouched, and my notes still lying on the desk.

At least, it seemed that way. I gently closed the door behind me and picked up the piece paper lying on the ground.

It was blank, something that didn't have any notes on it. Worthless in almost every way, but probably the most important piece of paper in the room.

"Someone was here."

Taking a bit from Death Note, I'd left a scrap of paper near the top of my door. I positioned it carefully enough that someone wouldn't notice it walking in, but when they closed the door behind them, it would fall down.

Since it was lying on the floor, and since it wasn't replaced like Sothis would have known to do if she had accidently knocked it off, that meant that someone else had been in my room.

I frowned and took a closer look around.

Since whoever went into my room had taken the time to put things back where they were, it was obvious that they were cautious. They also couldn't have done too much searching, at least not with how many witnesses there were outside. Anything extensive, like moving my bed or my desks, would have drawn unwanted attention.

I didn't think that many people knew this was my room either, so it was possible that someone dressed like a student could have managed to get in without suspicion but a staff member or a knight would have drawn attention.

I began picking up the pieces of paper lying on the ground. Seeing that they were just class lecture notes, I frowned. What were they looking for?

I hadn't done anything suspicious yet, at least, not anything that would imply me possessing knowledge of anything useful.

I stood up and swept my eyes around the room. From a surface glance, there didn't seem to be any surveillance equipment in my room, but knowing the Agarthan's level of technology, I couldn't chance it.

I made a show of picking up more of the stray papers lying around and then shuffling them together. At the same time, I focused on the flow of mana around the room. As an… unintentional benefit of my prototype artificial magic crest, I could intimately sense the traces of ambient mana floating around when I wanted to.

At the moment, there was the natural ambient mana in the air, bits of my own from my experiments, and… that was it. If the person inside had been an Agarthan and placed magitech down, or if it had been anyone else using some sort of magical surveillance, I didn't detect it.

I placed the stack of papers on my desk and then sat down and picked up a pen. I placed one of the blank sheets of paper in front of me and wrote down the names of the students I'd met so far. At the same time, I gradually focused on the artificial crest in my left arm.

Before, all I could conjure up was fire. It seemed that Byleth's body had a natural disposition towards it, explaining why those were the only black magic spells he could use. But now that I'd modified the nerves in my arm, even if Sothis thought it was a bad idea, I wasn't restricted to just fire, or even the normal elements. And, while the output was still low, like Sothis said I could barely handle the strength of a small fireball, it still worked. As long as I had a clear image of what I wanted to do, at least.

My nerves crackled, drawing the mana in the air into my body. At the same time, I felt the sensation of thousands of needles prickling my left arm.

With my right, I started writing. "Mercedes, Annete, Lysithea, Ignatz, Ferdinand, Bernadetta…" Muttering those names to myself, I made a show of taking notes at my desk. At the same time, I was charging up my artificial crest with what little mana it could handle.

When I wrote down the last name, my artificial crest had reached full capacity.

I stared at the names for a moment a brief moment and then nodded. In the same movement-

"Disperse."

I muttered a word to focus my intent and then released the stored mana.

Like I said, my output was still low. However, what I had in mind didn't require much output.

The mana in my left arm raced along my nerves, causing it to feel like I'd set my arm on fire and then dunked it in liquid nitrogen. The mana made a circuit, and then when they passed my nerves again, its property shifted. The gaseous energy compressed and scattered, converted into an intense short range burst of electromagnetic waves.

Magic, Agarthan technology… either way from what I'd seen so far, they didn't break the rules of physics. Thus-

_CRACK._

-if they relied on energy, I could overload them.

Something shattered. I couldn't see what it was, but I nodded to myself when I heard it.

"See, Sothis? I told you that this was a good idea."

There wasn't a reply, making me miss the goddess a bit. I quickly shook the feeling away though and turned towards where I heard the shattering noise.

Like a spy movie, it was in the corner of my room. A small lens, stuck in the wall. About the size of a pinhead, it was colored the same shade as the wall and blended in almost perfectly. Were it not for the fact that it had shattered, revealing silver cracks inside of it, I might have never noticed.

I picked the lens off from the wall and muttered, "This will probably make me more suspicious, but better that then finding out what I'd done and plan to do in the future."

It was a good thing that most of my experiments were lost to time from Sothis's Divine Pulses. Well, the stuff that I made with alchemy earlier was still hidden in that secret compartment underneath my bed, but since neither Sothis nor I had detected any sort of surveillance up until this point, and since there was only one lens, I hoped that meant that I was still in the clear.

But in any case… "Sothis isn't here, huh?"

I thought Sothis might have headed back by now, but clearly she hadn't. Then was my first hunch right? Did she detect something and go off on her own to investigate?

I wasn't _too_ worried about her since I still felt the connection between us and since she didn't even leave any traces, physical or otherwise, unless she deliberately chose to do so. Besides, despite my treatment of her and how she acted, she was still a Goddess. A legitimate divine being.

No, what I was worried about was something else. "…Is this a setup?"

Too many things were off. I wanted to attribute it to the fact that it was because of me, the 'push back from Fate' that Sothis mentioned. However, as coincidental as certain events were, too many coincidences made a pattern. And that pattern was starting to show that someone, or something, was working in the background, causing events to change.

It was slight, barely noticeable, but it was there.

"…Well, I should be good for now."

I'd gotten rid of their surveillance, whoever it was, so they would be more cautious about it. Whether it was Rhea, the Agarthans, or some unknown third party, they would at least hesitate a bit before trying something like that again.

After all, from how I made it seem, the surveillance just cut off on its own. And I doubted that anyone here understood the mechanics of EMPs or, if they did, had the thought that it could be done by a person and not through a device.

If it was the Agarthans, they would have thought that Rhea had something to do with it.

If it was Rhea, she would think that Sothis was protecting me which, while not the best outcome, was better than her thinking that I was Sothis reincarnated from seeing the experiments I would be getting into during the near future.

And if it was a third party… well we had both learned something useful then. Me, of their existence, and them of the fact that I knew they were watching.

But even though I was worried, I wasn't _too_ worried.

Like a debatably wise person once said, I had the power of god and anime on my side.

I took a final glance around my room, making a mental note to examine everything in more detail after I found Sothis, and then left. However, instead of just leaving a scrap of paper by the door, I put a thin line of ink on the ground as well.

If anyone entered my room and realized the scrap of paper, they'd put their focus on that instead of the ink. And, even if they noticed the ink, the door opening would disturb it. While that was a bit paranoid and overkill, considering the fact that I had a surplus of rewinds in stock, over-reliance on the Divine Pulse would be a bad thing in the long run. Not to mention that it could lead to a scenario like Byleth had with Jeralt, running out of pulses to stop his father... my father's death.

So paranoid countermeasures it was. At least until I figured out how to do some magical security, like a ward or a bounded field.

I shut the door and locked it behind me before once again heading off to the training grounds. At the same time, I started making mental notes of what I had left to do for the day.

Introductions… now that I knew for sure I was being watched by someone, I had to keep that up. Straying from the pattern would tip them off even more than I already had.

Finding Sothis… she was more perceptive than I was, so she had probably realized something. That was my best guess as to why she had vanished. In that case, I just had to wait. While I couldn't sense her, since she didn't really have a presence other than what I felt from the Crest Stone in my chest, she could easily sense where I was and catch up later.

After that-

_Thud_.

I collided into something soft and warm.

"Oh my!" A lovely female voice exclaimed.

I blinked in time to see a girl start to fall to the stone pavement with her right arm outstretched.

I instinctively reached out to grab her with my left arm. Unfortunately, since I still hadn't gotten used to my increased strength and speed, that I over reached. Instead of grabbing her arm to steady her, my arm missed, reaching around her waist instead of her hand.

My eyes widened and I stepped forward. It would be a bit awkward, but better awkward than letting a girl slam against the stone pavement.

I wrapped my arm around her waist and spun around her, pivoting her back up like a ballroom dancer would.

A bit embarrassing, but something that saved her from a potentially devastating fall.

After making sure that she was steady, I removed my arm from her waist and stepped back. As I did, I thanked Byleth yet again for his superb poker face and stared at the girl.

Like everyone else, she wore the Officers Academy uniform. Her hair was a soft brown, long and slightly curled behind her, and her eyes were a soft green. Contrasting that, her pale cheeks were flushed a light red.

"Didn't expect to get swept off my feet this early in the school year. Can't say I mind though." The girl smiled and brushed herself off before picking up a hat lying on the ground nearby.

When I saw that, I realized who she was. Still, I kept my blank face and said. "Sorry for knocking you over."

Dorothea brushed off her cap and shook her head. "No, no. It's my fault for being lost in thought. Should have known to look where I was going." After making sure her hat was clean, she placed it back on her head and turned towards me. "I guess I was just too distracted. First day and all, you know?"

I nodded. Though… "First day?"

Dorothea nodded and sighed. "I was supposed to arrive earlier, but something held me up. One of my recommendations didn't go through, so I had to find another at the last minute. Thankfully, an old friend helped me out, so here I am!"

A picture-perfect smile. I would have been fooled, if not for the slight shadow in her eyes and that bit of self-loathing guilt.

Did she realize that I noticed? Either way, Dorothea laughed and said, "Oh, but that's enough about me. What's a handsome man like yourself doing around here?" She scanned me up and down and said, "Hm… since you're wearing that fashionable outfit, you're clearly not a student. Unless you're planning to transfer in?"

I started to respond until her words registered in my head. "…Fashionable outfit?"

I glanced at my clothes again to double-check what I was wearing.

Black overcoat with sewn sleeves to act as a makeshift cape. Gray tunic with the Eisner Mercenary Troop emblem. Black pants and gray leather boots. Matching arm-length gloves… If this was fashionable, then it looked like I still didn't get fashion even in another world.

Dorothea's eyes lit up. "Of course! Not that I'm complaining about these uniforms but _look_ at them." Dorothea gestured towards her outfit and said, "The dress code is pretty lax, but we still need to wear these in some form. I thought about modifying it, but I couldn't find anything that matched me." She pointed to her hat and said, "This is the best I've got."

"…It matches, at least?"

Better than Bernadetta's hood at least.

Dorothea tilted her head. "You think so? I was kind of worried about that. None of the nobles I met really paid attention. Too distracted by… this." She gave a vague gesture towards her chest. "And this." Then she gestured towards her legs, covered in fishnet stockings.

"…I think that'd be a natural response when meeting someone like you."

Though, she hadn't seen female Byleth. Hm. That made me curious. If this was how Dorothea reacted to male Byleth, I wonder how she would have reacted to female Byleth and her revealing outfit?

Dorothea sighed. "I mean, that's why I chose to wear it but sometimes a girl wants to be appreciated for more than just her body, you know?"

"Absolutely." If that wasn't true, there wouldn't be so many young teenage girls back on Earth with mental health issues. Damned social media and the focus it put on keeping up appearances…

"Huh." Dorothea paused and looked at me. Really looked at me, instead of the somewhat distant gaze she was giving me earlier. "You… really mean that, don't you?"

"Of course I do. We're all people, aren't we?"

Dorothea sighed. "If only the nobles would believe that… Ah!" She shook her head and said, "Look at me, spilling all my problems. You probably don't want to listen to my complaints."

I shook my head. "I don't mind." I was used to listening to people's problems back on Earth anyway.

…Huh. Maybe Sothis was right about me being similar to Byleth.

"But I do." Dorothea shook her head. "You seem like you're busy… and I'm guessing it's pretty important too, if it distracted you enough to crash into me."

Right. Introductions.

I frowned.

Dorothea smiled and said, "See? Not that I didn't enjoy this, I mean it's not every day a girl gets swept off her feet by an understanding and attractive guy like yourself, but I don't want to keep you from anything important."

Before I could say anything else, Dorothea waved and started walking away. "See you, Mister 'Tall, Dark, and Handsome'! Invite me to tea sometime when you're not busy, alright?"

When she left, I sighed, actually feeling a bit down. Something about the way Dorothea talked reminded me of the friends I had back before all of this happened. Girl problems, worries, doubts… it was kind of nostalgic.

And distracting me from the fact that I still had a few more introductions to get through before reporting back to Rhea.

I shook my head and continued my walk towards the training ground. Maybe since people were getting used to me now, or because they saw me interacting with a few of the other students, more people waved at me as I passed.

It was… odd. Both to Byleth and myself. Usually I was beneath notice, purposefully on my part and unintentionally on his. To be the center of attention like this…

"Come on, Linhardt! Another round!" A boisterous voice echoed from the training grounds.

A long sigh followed. "Caspar. How many times do I have to tell you? This is pointless. I have the height and reach advantage. You won't win."

"Says you!"

"Indeed, 'says me'. This makes the…" A yawn echoed. "…third loss you've had. I'm tired. And hungry. Can we please just get lunch now? Edelgard will be upset if we're late to the meeting and I need to wash up."

I frowned.

Caspar? And Linhardt?

Scratch that, the two fighting?

Curious, instead of walking directly into the training grounds like I intended, I crept around the corner of the entrance and stood beside a pillar.

In the center of the training grounds, there were two male students.

One was short with spiky blue hair and matching eyes. His uniform was covered in grass stains and dirt and a sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead.

Standing across from him was a lanky young man with dark green hair parted in the middle and a short ponytail. Unlike the other student, he looked perfectly unscathed. His uniform was as crisp as if it had just been laundered and he didn't have a drop of sweat on his forehead. He also looked bored, the expression of someone stuck playing a video game with a younger sibling for the nth time.

The shorter student with blue hair put up his fists and said, "I'll win this time, Linhardt! You'll tire out sooner or later!"

Linhardt let out a yawn. "Sure, sure." He shifted his body, taking on a stance that looked like some form of Chinese martial arts. Legs spread shoulders-width apart, waist lowered, left hand in front, right hand in back, and both palms open.

Caspar yelled and ran forward. He stomped the ground with his left foot the moment he was a step away from Linhardt and punched with his right fist. The air cracked, showing just how much speed and force was put behind Caspar's attack.

But Linhardt didn't flinch. Even as Caspar's fist drew near his face, all Linhardt did was shift his head slightly.

"Like I keep saying, Caspar," Linhardt said. "Height advantage."

Caspar's blow fell short. As Linhardt said, he had the height advantage. Caspar's punch was quick, but it had to reach up at an angle to strike Linhardt's face.

"Tch!" Caspar pulled his right arm back and swung out with his left.

Linhardt yawned and lazily stepped to the side.

Again, Caspar missed. But it looked like he was expecting it. Instead of trying to keep his balance, he went with his attack and slapped his right hand against the ground. Using the momentum, he spun and threw a kick with the full force of his body. His left leg snapped out at a sharp angle, aiming at Linhardt's ribs.

"Aaand we're done." Linhardt moved, swiftly and with the ease of a practiced fighter. The moment that Caspar committed to his kick, Linhardt grabbed Caspar's right leg.

"W-Whoa!"

Before Caspar could do anything, Linhardt had pulled him off the ground.

Caspar flailed, trying to shift his weight to get free, but Linhardt was faster.

"Take a nap." Saying those words, Linhardt spun on his heel. Since Caspar was off balance, and since Linhardt had grabbed Caspar's leg, the force from Caspar's kick was turned into the force to send him flying.

From behind the pillar, I couldn't help but nod my head. It was impressive, way better fighting than I expected from some students. Also way better fighting than the bandits we fought at Remire village… and anybody in Byleth's memories?

I frowned. But before I could think too hard about it, I heard a faint whistling in the air, followed quickly by a strangled scream.

I snapped back to reality in time to see a blurred Caspar flying straight at me.

My eyes widened and my body moved on its own.

Maybe it was because of how I caught Dorothea earlier, or because I saw how Linhardt was fighting. Either way, instead of stepping to the side and letting Caspar crash against the floor, I reached out and grabbed him in mid-air. However, the moment my hands made contact with his body, I knew that he was going too fast for me to catch him, at least not without both of us hitting the ground.

So, I didn't.

Instead of stopping Caspar, I grabbed his body and spun. A slight pivot here, a slight adjustment there. It was something I'd never be able to do if it was just 'me' or if it was just 'Byleth'. But with our combined skills and memories, along with admittedly a good amount of luck, I managed to slowly decrease Caspar's speed enough to set him down on the ground.

"W-Why is the world spinning?"

…Of course, it looked like I forgot about that part. While I might be fine, Caspar, having his speed and momentum forcibly adjusted, would be feeling quite a bit of dizziness right about now.

Just in case he threw up, I took a few steps backwards.

Linhardt straightened his body and sighed. "Maybe since you were spun around a dozen times before being placed on the ground?"

Caspar nodded and then staggered towards the pillar. "Urgh… maybe… it wasn't a good idea to skip lunch…"

"Had we not, you'd probably be spilling it about now, Caspar."

"Yeah. Good point. Now… I'm gonna lie down for a bit." The moment those words were said, Caspar flopped to the ground, out cold.

Linhardt shook his head. "I told you so, Caspar." He yawned and then turned towards me. "Thanks for catching him, by the way."

"You seem awfully nonchalant about this."

"Caspar'll be fine. He's had worse."

"Worse, huh?" I scanned the training grounds in more detail now that their spar was over.

I hadn't noticed before since I was focused on the fight, but there were an awful lot of ripped patches in the grass. Swathes of dirt, gouged up by what looked like someone being dragged across it. And then there were about a dozen very human shaped dents in the ground…

I shook my head and said, "I see what you mean."

Linhardt yawned again. "Yeah… and I can heal him if anything too serious happens. Anyway, a nap sounds like a good idea right about now, so I think I'll be joining my friend here."

"Wait, before you do, have you seen anyone else around here? Any other students, maybe?"

Annette said Felix should have been around here, but I didn't see him anywhere.

"Hm? Ah, if you're talking about that guy with black hair, he challenged Professor Jeritza to a spar and got sent to the infirmary. Now, if you'll excuse me." Linhardt laid down on the grass and then shut his eyes. Barely a few seconds later and he was already snoring.

I shook my head, bemused by the series of events. Not quite the introduction I had in mind, but I got to see something amusing at least.

Anyway, Felix got sent to the infirmary, huh? Well, that saved me an introduction. That left… Hubert and Petra from the Black Eagles, most of the Blue Lions, and most of the Golden Deer.

I sighed and left the training grounds.

Next stop: the chapel.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I headcanon Linhardt as an expert martial artist. The game has him suck at it, but I just take that to mean he thinks it's too much trouble to do. Well, that and killing a guy with your bare hands is a bit gruesome. But I mean, look at him after the timeskip! Doesn't he seem like a guy that stepped out of a Chinese Martial Arts Movie?

Also, these introductions seem to be going the way of support conversations now that I look at them... well, I hope it's enjoyable and the slow pace isn't too off-putting.

Still not sure if I'll go through _all_ the students before the scene and picking a house, but we'll see how that goes as I keep writing.


	10. Knowing Time Betrays

The chapel was somewhat removed from the rest of the monastery. Whether because it held important religious artifacts or simply to be a bit more private so as to offer peace and solitude during worship, to reach it you had to cross a long bridge over a river streaming down the mountain. Even then, the chapel itself had iron grates covering its doors. While they were open at the moment since it was still daytime and the students were encouraged to explore, it was clear that they were more than just for show.

My walk to the chapel itself was quiet and peaceful. A couple of hours had already passed since lunch so there weren't many students around the area. While I passed a few knights patrolling along my way, they recognized me by now and simply let me pass without a second glance.

…Rhea must have been serious about making this place seem like a second home for me. I had a feeling that the Knights of Seiros got a very stern memo about who I was and what exactly I wasn't able to do. Or rather, that I was free to do as I pleased.

The sun was starting to set by the time I reached the doors of the chapel. It seemed like I'd have to cut my losses soon and head straight back to Rhea to report which house I'd decided to teach.

Although I didn't think that Rhea would mind waiting for me, especially since the archbishop seemed obsessed enough to conquer all of Fodlan for me if I asked nicely, it'd be rude to do so. Hanneman and Manuela were waiting for my decision as well, not to mention the students from each house.

Still, before I headed back, I wanted to check the chapel first since it had a few important story and gameplay locations. While I didn't think too much would have changed, with how things were I felt that I had to make sure. Well, that and I had a hunch that Sothis would have dropped by to check on it as well.

Stepping into the chapel, the first thing I noticed was the goddess statue. Placed directly before a large gothic window, bathed in the light of the setting sun, it was clear that the designer of the chapel wanted that to be the first thing that anyone saw when walking in. While carved from a gray stone, somehow it seemed to glisten with a soft radiance.

The next thing I noticed as I stepped into the room were the wooden pews. As expected of a place of worship, rows of them lined both sides, leaving a single aisle leading up to the statue. Stone archways that blended into support pillars stood on the west and east walls, with a door on both sides leading back out to a balcony.

In the far corners of the chapel, to the goddess statue's sides, there were two elaborate doors, etched with gold leaf and a silver material.

If I remembered right, the one on the left led to the Goddess Tower and the one on the right led to the statues of the four saints.

After taking in the appearance of the chapel itself, I took note of the people inside… or rather, the lack thereof. Despite being the main place of worship for the center of religion in Fodlan, there was nobody present. Neither an ordained priest nor a student in prayer. Moreover, it was deathly quiet, with only my soft footsteps echoing in the hallowed halls.

I was alone… or so I thought. But as I advanced towards the statue of the goddess, I noticed that there was someone standing there.

She was transparent, ghostly almost. Despite her vibrant green hair and blue dress, beneath the sunlight she was almost invisible. Like a fading dream, vanishing at the edge of dawn.

"Sothis."

I called out to her.

She turned around to look at me.

I started to ask her where she had been and why she left, but I had to bite my tongue when I saw her face.

Dazed eyes, a serene expression. When she saw me, there was a faint flicker of recognition, but it quickly faded into confusion. Sothis bit her lips and muttered, "You are…?"

I quickly walked up to her. The moment I was close enough to reach out to her, Sothis's expression changed and she shouted. "Stop!"

I froze. "What-"

She shook her head. While her eyes were still a bit dazed, they had regained a glimmer of focus. "Be silent! We are not alone!"

I tilted my head, confused.

And then I heard something. The sound of footsteps, along with the soft tap of a cane.

I turned towards the source of it to see an elderly man step out from behind the shadow of the archway in front of the Goddess Tower.

He smiled and said, "What brings you to the chapel at this time of day, child?"

I didn't respond. Instead, I carefully examined the man.

His hair was a graying mousy brown. His eyes, the color of his hair, gave off a soft gaze. Paired with his slight smile and the wrinkles around his eyes, he was the epitome of a harmless old man.

Except he wasn't.

While the man wore the robes of the church, white with golden embroidery, I knew exactly who he was.

'Tomas' stepped forward and tilted his head. "Perhaps you are lost? Or did you perhaps see a vision of the goddess Herself?"

Sothis shook her head. Her appearance was solidifying again, color returning to her form. "Watch your words! He knows!"

Knows? Knows what?

Sothis didn't respond. Instead, she placed her palm against her forehead and winced.

…Improv time it is, then.

I shook my head and stared at the statue. "I'm… not sure." I muttered. "Perhaps it was my imagination, but I thought I saw something here."

"Oh?" Tomas raised his right eyebrow. The kindly expression was still there, but there was a cold light now gleaming in his eyes. "And what might that have been?" His smile widened, the mask cracking just a fraction. "It must have been quite frightening to speak the goddess's name."

Damn. I messed up. Sothis, get a Divine Pulse ready so-

"NO!" Sothis shook her head. "That is… we cannot. Should not. Not at this time."

A vehement denial. I didn't know what was going on, but it definitely wasn't good.

I purposefully ignored Sothis, staring at her only from the corner of my eyes, but I could see her form flickering in and out.

I turned back to Tomas… or rather, Solon, and frowned.

Alright. Time to pull out a page from that giant library of fiction you have stored there.

"…It was a girl."

Solon's smile widened. "Is that so? And what did she look like, child?"

I shook my head. "She…" I made a show of looking out at the window. "…She was someone I killed."

Solon's smile dimmed. Only slightly, but I could see the disappointment in his eyes. "I see," he said. "I suppose it is understandable. The radiance of the goddess brings forth many facets in men."

I nodded and decided to lay it on a bit thick. "I should have realized it at the time. She was hurting all alone, putting on a brave face. Living every day saying that she was fine. That everything was alright. And I was there. Every day, I was there next to her. But in the end, she…!"

I bit my tongue and shook my head.

…Damn. Dug a bit too deep there. Calm yourself. That's right, calm down.

Wait. That… wasn't me?

I frowned and felt a sharp pain in my temple. Like my head was splitting apart, like a knife stabbed straight into my brain, carving it in half.

Solon's mask returned and he walked forward to pat my shoulder. "There, there, child. While I know not what troubles consume you, I am sure that the goddess will forgive you."

_Kill him. Now._

Murderous impulse. I felt myself subconsciously reaching out for the mana around me.

…Simple. It would be so simple to just reach out with my left hand and snuff him out.

Tomas… Solon still didn't know my capabilities. Couldn't, with the artificial crest I had made.

One strike. I didn't have a sword on me, but I had mana. Others might not be able to, but I could stream it and form a blade that could cut through any defense. Granted, it wouldn't last long and would probably short-out my left arm, but it would work.

He was standing in reach. He was unsuspecting. He-

"Byleth?"

A female voice echoed through the chapel. Soft, but with authority.

I blinked, snapping out of my daze, and turned towards the source of the voice.

Edelgard stood at the entrance of the chapel. When her violet eyes caught sight of Solon, especially how his hand was over my shoulder, they narrowed and she said, "Tomas. What brings the librarian to the chapel at this time of day?"

He smiled and said, "Nothing in particular, Miss Hresvelg. I simply felt that I might have an opportunity to help any lost souls that needed guidance."

Edelgard walked forward, her boots clicking against the marbled floor. "That is for the priests to do, not someone such as yourself."

Solon laughed. "Perhaps it is so. I may have been stepping beyond my role for a moment."

Edelgard nodded. "You have. Now return to your post."

Solon's eyes gleamed for a moment, his mask dropping once more, but then he nodded. "As you wish. Good day to you, Miss Hresvelg. Mister Eisner."

The fake librarian gave a curt nod to Edelgard and then to me before walking away, leaving through the side entrance on the left side of the chapel.

When he was gone, Edelgard shook her head and looked to me. "I apologize if he bothered you, Professor. Tomas is usually more… reserved. I don't know what came over him."

Calm. The moment I saw Edelgard, I felt a wash of calm sweep over me. The murderous intent, the anxiety and worry. All of it, replaced with calm and… content? Happiness?

I grit my teeth.

Something was wrong. In the corner of my eye, I saw that Sothis was as confused as I was. Fortunately, it seemed that her form had stabilized.

"In any case," Edelgard said. "What brings you to the chapel? Should you not be reporting back to the archbishop at this time with your decision?"

"Yes. You are absolutely correct." I nodded and took a step towards the doors when I felt a wave of nausea sweep through me. Along with it came glimpses of memories.

Dimitri's face, twisted in madness while his body was riddled with spears.

Edelgard's regretful smile as I raised my blade.

Claude's haunted look as I ordered his execution.

I took a deep breath and kept walking.

Edelgard looked confused, but I gave her a small wave and said, "Have a good day, Edelgard."

Out. I had to get out of the chapel, now.

* * *

Fresh air. Light. The sound of coursing water.

The moment I stepped outside of the chapel, my mind cleared up. The nausea I felt vanished, along with the pain in my head. However, the images I saw hadn't faded.

I could see it clearly still. The ends of each of the lords… only, not from the game but through my own eyes. No, not my own. Byleth's.

I leaned over the railing of the bridge and stared off into the water.

As I did, I caught the glimpse of something green in the corner of my eyes. Sothis.

She floated over and sat along the railing beside me. "…You did well to keep it together."

"…What was that? Inside the chapel, what happened?" I muttered, keeping my voice low, but loud enough for her to hear.

Sothis sighed. "It is… complicated. An unexpected consequence of your… no, our existence."

"And that is?"

Sothis turned her head to look into the river. She was quiet for a moment, and then she started to sing.

_In time's flow  
See the glow  
Of flames ever burning bright  
On a swift  
River's drift  
Broken memories alight_

A haunting but familiar memory. One that reminded me of a different song meant to heal the soul.

Sothis finished and turned to look at me. "The Song of the Nabateans, one that I passed along to Seiros and she to Byleth after he obtained my full power. Do you recall it?"

I did. The scene where it happened was hard to forget.

Sothis shook her head. "I did not, until I followed after Edelgard."

I frowned. "So that's when you left?"

"Indeed." Sothis turned again to look at the river and said, "At first, I thought to follow her out of curiosity. As your task was both mundane and simple, I thought it the better course of action for a goddess such as myself. However… I did not anticipate your reaction."

"My reaction?"

Sothis nodded and looked at me. Really looked at me, as if staring into my soul. "Byleth," she said. "Let go."

"…Huh?"

"Let go of your memories. You cannot change them. I understand how you must feel… indeed, I must have felt the same when we first met. But you must let go."

Let go? Of my memories? Of what little I had left of who I was?

I narrowed my eyes and said, "You're asking for the impossible."

Sothis stared at me for a while longer and sighed. "Perhaps I am." She shook her head. "In any case, today is a consequence of my own curiosity. Know that such an event will not come to pass again." She smiled at me and then spun around to hop off the railing. "Now come! Today should be a joyous occasion! After all, it marks your first as a true and proper professor."

I stood up.

Sothis had a point. Thinking too much about this was going to just distract me. Again, Dad's advice came in handy. This was a battlefield, and one where useless thoughts would lead to my demise. So… just don't think about them for now.

"That is right," Sothis said. "Now tell me, have you decided on your house? You have met with quite a few students, I believe… yes. I see that you have introduced yourself to most of the Black Eagles."

I started walking towards the main building of the monastery and said, "I thought you weren't going to read my memories?"

"And allow the opportunity to tease you pass? Never!" Sothis walked beside me and said, "Furthermore, how else would I be able to guide you when you so frequently fly into fits of fancy? Ah, and do not speak. Think. Must I remind you again?"

…Right. Thanks, Sothis.

"Hmph." Sothis scoffed, but a small smile was on her face. "At least you have the decency to be grateful. Now, hurry along. You would not wish to keep your colleagues and students waiting, would you? There is but a few hours before the sun sets."

That's right. I should hurry.

"Quite! Now, let us be off!"

* * *

I stared at the elaborate double doors leading to Rhea's room. From what I remembered, Rhea, Seteth, and probably Manuela and Hanneman would be waiting inside.

For some reason, I was strangely nervous.

"Go on," Sothis said. "There is nothing to fear. Simply deciding the fate of the world, is all."

That doesn't help.

"Phooey. You are no fun to tease."

I sighed and then focused. Nervous or not, it was time.

I stepped forward and pushed the doors. Thankfully, they were regularly oiled and maintained so the awkward moment of me arriving through squeaky doors was avoided.

I took a breath, subtly so as to not be noticed, and then walked inside.

Rhea stood at her place beneath the glass stained window, the light casting her in a divine atmosphere as always. Shortly off to her right was Seteth, his face as somber as usual.

In front of me, a few steps away from the door and a few paces apart from each other, were Manuela and Hanneman.

Rhea's eyes lit up when I arrived and she said, "Byleth. A pleasure for you to finally join us."

I nodded. "I'm sorry for the wait. The monastery is a bit bigger than I anticipated."

"Indeed." Rhea smiled and said, "That is often the case for those new to the monastery. However, I trust that you are finding yourself welcome at Garreg Mach?"

"It's a bit overwhelming, but yes. It's been quite welcoming. There hasn't been anyone bothering me, at least." Other than Solon, who seemed far more suspicious than usual, Claude who seemed to know too much, and Edelgard who seemed to be setting things into motion earlier than usual.

"Good, good." Rhea nodded. "Now, I trust that you've made your rounds? Is there a particular house that you have your eye on?"

I nodded. "I didn't manage to meet every student but I-"

Seteth coughed. "Before you decide, I must state that I am personally against someone with such an untrackable history to be in charge of one of the esteemed houses of the Officers Academy."

Rhea frowned. "Seteth."

The green-haired advisor fixed a stern gaze on me. "While I am not _opposed_ to having you, as the Archbishop has already made the appointment, know that I shall be observing you very closely to ensure that you are up to our caliber of faculty."

Hanneman spoke up. "Worry not, young Byleth." He smiled and said, "As you are new here, we will do our best to ensure that you receive the aid you need."

Manuela nodded. "On that note, since you're new, Hanneman and I decided to let you have first pick. We can work with any of the houses, but both of us decided that it would probably be better for you to work with the students you felt more comfortable with." She smiled. "So, have you made a choice yet? The Black Eagles, the Blue Lions, and the Golden Deer… all so unique."

That was good. It seemed that this part, at least, was sticking to how the game went.

I turned to Rhea and said, "I've decided."

Dimitri was kind and polite. He seemed like the guy I'd become good friends with, a reliable pal and one I could trust to have my back. The rest of the Blue Lions gave off that vibe as well, all relatively put together and welcoming. Granted, from what I knew about the game they all had their issues, but on the surface at least they were put together.

Claude was chill, a total bro. The rest of the Golden Deers were pretty much the same. Laidback, calming… except for Lysithea and Marianne. Then again, those two were a special case… Ah. And there was Leonie too. She was pretty obnoxious… though maybe not as grating in real life as in the game.

Edelgard was also kind and polite. However, she seemed always evaluating and distant. I saw how she dropped that though when I talked to her earlier. It seemed like she was really yearning for someone to stand beside her. But more than that, if either she or the Agarthans were planning to set things into motion earlier than usual…

"I choose the Black Eagles."

…she was my best pick.

Claude didn't need my help. While it would be fun to be the professor to the Golden Deer, in the end it wouldn't let me change anything. Dimitri would treat me as a third party and Edelgard would see me as an enemy down the line. It would be easy to find myself at odds with both of the other lords due to their conflicting priorities.

Dimitri needed someone at his side, but his primary drive was revenge. That was something that I could aid him with as a friend, not just as a professor. And furthermore, while he had issues, they weren't ones that 'I' could help with too much. At least at the moment… no. It was better to say that I could help him more efficiently as a third party. At least that was the plan.

A relationship between a professor and a student had a certain distance, but going out of the way to help him as a friend that wasn't the direct professor would seem more personable and have a greater impact.

I hoped.

And then there was Edelgard. The one responsible for everything, the spark that lit the powder keg of Fodlan.

She was the key to everything.

If I could convince her to rely on me instead of the Agarthans, if I could make it so that she didn't feel cornered, maybe she wouldn't resort to such drastic measures.

It was a long shot, but better than nothing.

And, failing that, I could at least be slightly forewarned if I was close to her and try to prevent the major turning points.

Rhea smiled and said, "It seems that your heart has made its choice. My only request is that you teach them with an open mind and guide them with virtue, care, and sincerity."

I nodded. "Of course."

If not, how was I supposed to save everyone? If not, why would I _want_ to save everyone?

If I had not planned to teach them well, then it would have been simple. If I just wanted to live, I could have become a guard or a knight instead. But I made my choice.

A professor. I would take that role on myself and ensure that I did the best job I could.

It was the only path.

Hanneman nodded. "In that case, I suppose I shall teach the Blue Lions."

"Then that leaves me with the Golden Deer," Manuela said.

Seteth nodded. "They are all promising youths who bear the weight of Fodlan's future upon their shoulders." He turned to look at me and said, "I hope you appreciate what an honor it is to lead them."

The door opened.

"Brother?"

A soft female voice called out and then a young girl walked into the room. She wore the student uniform as well, and had green hair a shade lighter than Seteth's.

I recognized her immediately. It would be hard not to considering how she stood out even among the cast of the rest of the students.

"Oh my," the girl said. "I am so sincerely sorry!" She bowed towards all of us and said, "I did not mean to interrupt."

"I am in the middle of something, Flayn." Seteth frowned, but noticeably softer than when he looked at me. "Is it urgent?"

Flayn shook her head. "No, no. It's nothing. More importantly… Who is this?" She turned towards me and gestured her hand.

"This is our newest professor at the academy, Byleth Eisner."

"A new addition to the Officers Academy!" Flayn smiled and said, "I am so very pleased to meet you, Professor! I am Seteth's little sister, Flayn."

Seteth coughed and said, "Let us focus on the topic at hand." He turned back to me. "There is something you should be aware of. In a few days' time, there will be a mock battle between the three houses, intended to gauge the current progress of the students. We will be using this battle as an opportunity to ascertain your own abilities as well. Please do not disappoint the archbishop. That is all."

Rhea nodded. "Indeed. Now, I believe it is about time for the professors to reveal themselves to their houses." She smiled. "I bid you all a good day and pleasant evening."

* * *

After being dismissed, Manuela, Hanneman and I headed towards the house classrooms.

Manuela sighed. "To think I'd be teaching the Golden Deer this year."

Hanneman frowned. "I would hope that your displeasure is not present when you greet your class, Manuela. It would not be conducive to a proper working relationship with your students."

The songstress lazily waved her hand. "I know, I know. It's just… I was hoping to teach Dorothea this year. It's been a while since we've last met, you know?"

"Ah." Hanneman nodded. "The young idol from your Opera House, is it?"

"That's right. Oh, but I don't blame you, Byleth." Manuela smiled. "It's a good thing for you to be teaching her house. The students will probably be a bit more comfortable with someone their age than a crusty old man like Hanneman over there."

"I beg your pardon?" Hanneman frowned. "I am but fifteen years older than you, Manuela. That is not-"

"Ahem." Manuela narrowed her eyes. "As I was saying, it'll be better for the students to have someone close to their age. Ah, but try not to do anything scandalous, will you?" Manuela turned to me and said, "Though some of the students might be in your relationship range, it'd be best to keep that out of the way. At least while they're at the academy."

Hanneman shook his head. "How little faith you have in young Byleth, Manuela." The older man looked at me and smiled. "For what it's worth, I trust in your judgment, young Byleth. Ah, it should be Professor Byleth now, shouldn't it?"

"That's right," Manuela said. "Professor Byleth. Professor… my, that has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" She turned to me and winked. "Wonder if any of the girls will ask for some private lessons with you, _Professor_."

Hanneman flushed. "M-Manuela!"

"Relax Hanneman. I'm just teasing him. Still." She frowned as she gave me a once over. "Not even a slight blush. You've got quite the composure, Professor."

Hanneman coughed. "Well of course. Young Byleth… Professor Byleth is a professional mercenary after all. The son of the fabled Blade Breaker as well. To be anything less composed would be surprising."

"A shame." Manuela sighed. "I feel like you would look so cute if you blushed, Professor."

I shrugged. "Can't say I disagree."

Manuela stumbled. "Is that… was that a joke, Professor?" She laughed. "And here I was thinking you were some stone-hearted mercenary. Seems like you've got a sense of humor as well."

Hanneman nodded. "A good one, Professor Byleth. Though, like Manuela, I did not take you one for jests."

"Really?" I tilted my head and said, "I thought it would be obvious. Life's more interesting when you can see how people react at you breaking character."

Hanneman adjusted his monocle. "I suppose that is true. Such a thing will be especially useful in teaching your students as well." The wizened crest scholar smiled. "My, were it that I could pull off such an expression… the number of students that I could have reigned in."

Manuela sighed and slumped her shoulders. "Tell me about it. If I had the Professor's blank look here, I wonder how many of those brats I could have stopped from messing up my lessons."

"Quite," Hanneman said. "In any case, it would appear that we've arrived."

I blinked and realized that we had, indeed, arrived at the courtyard in front of the house classrooms. Maybe the students had been informed, but all of them were gone from the courtyard, probably waiting in the classrooms for the announcements.

Manuela winked and said, "Good luck, Professor!" With a small wave, she walked over towards the Golden Deer classroom. "You too, Hanneman!"

"Thank you, Manuela." Hanneman waved at the songstress and then turned to me. "And the best of luck to you as well, young Byleth. Remember that we will be here if you require any assistance." With that, and a brief farewell, Hanneman headed over towards the Blue Lions house.

That left me with the Black Eagles.

With Hanneman and Manuela were gone, Sothis appeared at my side. The childish goddess hummed. "Those two make quite the pair. You dealt with them well."

Thanks.

"Oh? You remembered this time."

After how you chewed me out, it'd be hard not to.

Sothis smiled. "Well, as your fellow staff said, you are not alone in this. I am here as well. So, shall we reveal ourselves to the little ones?"

By that you mean me, right?

Sothis rolled her eyes. "Of course I do. Honestly, you can be so daft at times."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Thanks as always for reading and your input. I thought about going on with intros to all the students, and even wrote out a few more scenes, but I felt like it was dragging on a bit too long.

A bit more foreshadowing and a bit of characterization on our dear hero's end. Not too sure if it ended up exactly how I wanted it, but I think it's alright. Either way, hope as always that it was at least somewhat entertaining.


	11. Plan B

When I walked towards the Black Eagles classroom, I heard voices echoing from it.

A brash young voice shouted. "Come _on_! Just how long is our professor going to keep us waiting?"

"Now Caspar, I'm sure that our professor is just busy." A lovely female voice. Dorothea's. "Don't you remember what Edie said? The new instructor ran away during the training exercises, so they might have had to make some last minute arrangements in staff."

"Well they should hurry! It's almost time for dinner and I'm starving!"

There was a low sigh and a sleepy male voice said, "Would it kill you to be quiet? Some of us are trying to sleep… and I told you to eat lunch earlier, Caspar."

"Shut up Linhardt! Just because you-"

"Caspar!" Dorothea said. "Calm down. And Lin! Don't fall asleep now! The professor isn't here yet!"

"So sleep when the professor gets here," Linhardt said. "Got it."

"That's not what I-" Dorothea sighed. "You know what? Sure. But don't fall asleep yet."

I paused just in front of the front door of the classroom. While it was shut, I could clearly hear raised voices and arguments. They were a lot more… rowdy than I remembered them being.

Sothis hummed from beside me and said, "Indeed. What unruly children they are." She turned to me and said, "That loud one has a point, however. You are keeping them waiting." She frowned and said, "Do not tell me you are having second thoughts now, of all times?"

…You're right. I've already decided.

Sothis rolled her eyes. "Yes. How often will that half-heartedness of your cause such hesitation?" She floated behind me and started shoving me forward. "Go on! Your students await!"

I frowned, remembering what happened the last time Sothis did that.

You aren't going to bail on me again, are you?

"That was an extenuating circumstance and you know it. But to soothe your troubled mind, no, I will not. So hurry!"

…Alright. I'll trust you.

"As you should… now stop delaying!"

I shook my head and opened the door.

Caspar, Linhardt, and Dorothea were in the desks closest to the door. Because of that, they should have been the first to notice me, but they were too wrapped up in a heated argument to notice.

Standing along the wall beside those three were two students I hadn't personally met yet.

One was a girl with reddish-purple hair styled as a braided ponytail. There was a small red mark under her right eye, reminiscent of warpaint.

The other was a tall male student with black hair and cold eyes… well, eye. His hair was combed over his right eye, preventing me from seeing it. In any case, despite talking with the girl next to him, there was a sharp air around him.

Hubert and Petra.

In the back corner of the room near the wall with the windows, Ferdinand and Bernadetta stood. Well, Ferdinand stood and Bernadetta covered her head as she tried to hide at a desk. The venerable Ferdinand von Aegir seemed to be coaxing Bernadetta to get up, but to no avail.

Finally, there was Edelgard. She stood in front of the windows looking out to the west dormitories.

Sothis floated into the room beside me. When she saw how everyone was, she shook her head. "And here I thought that you were inattentive when caught in your flights of fancy. It would appear that your students share that characteristic of yours."

Maybe I'm just that stealthy?

"Were that the case, you would have avoided that Solon's notice."

Yeah, well that's hard to do when you have to walk in an empty chapel with very effective acoustics.

I shut the door behind me. It closed with a soft _click_. A sound that should have been inaudible to everyone with how loud it was, but the moment the door shut, Edelgard turned around.

Her eyes widened when she saw me standing there, but they quickly returned to normal as a small smile appeared on her face. "So it is you who will be our Professor."

Before I could say anything in response, Caspar jumped to his feet. "Professor?! Finally!" He spun around towards the door and said, "Can we hurry up with introductions and-" He froze the moment he recognized me. "…Wait, _you're_ the professor?"

I nodded. "That's right."

Caspar groaned and ran his hand through his hair. "Would you forget about what happened earlier? I promise, I'm actually a lot stronger than that!"

Linhardt yawned and said, "Keep telling yourself that, Caspar."

"Shut it, Linhardt!" Despite his harsh tone, Caspar's ears turned red, showing his embarrassment.

"Caspar," Dorothea said. "Be nice."

Caspar huffed and crossed his arms.

Linhardt took a look at me and gave a lazy nod. "You're our professor? Good. Now, sleep time."

"Lin, you can't-"

Light snores echoed in the room.

Dorothea sighed. "…Well, I guess I should have expected that from him. But anyway." The former idol turned towards me and smiled. "So _you're_ our professor, huh? A pity. Looks like we won't be having tea anytime soon… but I wouldn't mind having a few private lessons, _Professor_."

I nodded. "I agree. You need to work on your spatial awareness."

Dorothea frowned. "No reaction, huh?"

Sothis laughed. "Oh how wrong she is. If your heart truly beat as it should, I wonder how that one would react?"

Hush, you.

At that time, Hubert walked up to the front of the room. He swept his gaze across me and said, "So you are the esteemed mercenary Lady Edelgard has spoken of." He smiled, a cold expression cutting his stony face, and he said, "I hope that you do not betray her expectations as our instructor."

I nodded. "The day I do is the day I die." …Mostly because I'd be treading a fine line between allegiances in the near future if my plans didn't get derailed and a single misstep meant I lost everything. But no pressure, right?

"Oh?" Hubert's smile widened just a fraction. "Such resolve."

Ferdinand walked up and said, "Hubert. Do not antagonize our professor."

Hubert turned towards Ferdinand and raised an eyebrow. "Antagonize? I am merely informing him of the duty he now possesses as the instructor of the future Adrestrian Emperor."

"And such behavior is why you are unbefitting of the role as Lady Edelgard's advisor. Professor Eisner has shown his worth already. Were that not the case, the archbishop would not have assigned him as our instructor."

"Hmph." Hubert crossed his arms and said, "It appears that you are as naïve as ever."

"And you, as-" Ferdinand sighed. "No, this is neither the time nor the place to have this talk." He turned towards me and said, "It is a pleasant surprise to learn you will be our professor." He smiled and said, "It will be an honor to study under such an esteemed mercenary as yourself."

I nodded. "Hopefully I don't disappoint." And hopefully I can actually teach whatever curriculum they have here. The lesson plans I looked over helped, but…

At that time, Petra walked over. She smiled and said, "Greetings, Professor! I am called Petra." She smiled and said, "I am looking ahead to future lessons!"

"…I think you mean 'looking forward', but yes, Petra. And nice to meet you."

"Oh?" Petra smiled. "Already teachings have begun. I have much gratitude, Professor."

Edelgard coughed and walked forward. Everyone moved way for her, stepping to the side like it was a matter of course, and she stopped in front of me. "I apologize, Professor. Everyone is not usually this… rowdy."

"Rowdy?" Ferdinand held his hands up and said, "I do believe we are giving a proper welcome for our professor."

Hubert scoffed. "If you call this a proper welcome, I fear for your tenure as the Prime Minister."

Ferdinand frowned, but quickly replaced it with a smile as he looked at me. "Please, ignore Hubert. One as taciturn as he cannot appreciate a warm welcome. Ah, but I am getting ahead of myself. Here in the Black Eagles, we strive to treat each other as equals, regardless of differences in age or status. I hope you have not minded my familiar treatment of you."

Edelgard nodded and said, "Ferdinand is right." She stared at me and said, "Professor. I want you to know that it's perfectly acceptable to treat me as you do the others. While I may be the heir to the Adrestrian Empire, here in the academy I am just another student. Feel free to speak as you wish."

Sothis hummed from beside me and said, "Such polite behavior. It appears that you are not the only one wearing a mask… though I suppose she is accustomed to such a thing considering her role as the Flame Emperor."

It was. And seeing her act like that bothered me a bit, so I decided to have some fun.

While making sure to keep a straight face, I tilted my head to the side and said, "It's a bit late to be worrying about that, don't you think?"

"W-What?" Edelgard flushed.

"Ooh!" Dorothea smiled and said, "I sense a story! Did something happen between you two, Edie?"

Edelgard flushed and threw out her right arm. "N-nothing of the sort! There is nothing between us!"

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Dorothea smiled and turned to me. "So you weren't already making moves on Edie when you swept me off my feet, then?"

Edelgard's eyes narrowed and she turned towards Dorothea. "Swept you off your feet?"

Dorothea placed the back of her right hand over her forehead and swooned. "Why it was the perfect fairytale meeting! I was lost in thoughts, wandering the hallowed halls of Garreg Mach. Troubled as I was, I didn't notice our tall, dark, and handsome professor standing there." Dorothea wrapped her arms around herself and said, "I was knocked backwards, dangerously falling to the ground. But before I could, Professor wrapped me in his arms and pulled me back to my feet. Oh, how wonderfully romantic!"

Edelgard's face turned a deep red and she spun around to glare at me.

I froze.

Dorothea winked at me, a smile on her face.

Sothis laughed and said, "It would seem that Dorothea is slyer than she appears."

"Professor!" Edelgard said. "What is the meaning of this!"

Dorothea placed a hand to her chest and said, "Why, Edie! I thought you said there's nothing between you?"

"Th-there is nothing! I… I simply do not want my Professor to come afoul of any repercussions for disregarding proper conduct!"

Dorothea smiled and placed a finger on her chin. "Oh? And here I thought you were a bit jealous."

Sothis nodded. "Very sly indeed. Though… the two are quite familiar with each other. More so than simple peers… And the shy one as well. Look how she clings behind the arrogant one's back."

Hm?

I glanced over to see that Bernadetta was indeed using Ferdinand as a shield.

"Then there is the spar you witnessed earlier between the sleepy one and the loud one… perhaps the bonds that were formed across time have some effect? Or perhaps this is the flow of karma from your presence… Hm."

There were a lot of questions I had about what Sothis was saying, but I didn't really have the time to ask them at the moment.

"Yes," Sothis said. "We shall discuss this in more detail later. For now, pay attention to your students. Especially your beloved princess." She smiled and said, "It would appear that she is on the verge of overheating."

"That-" Edelgard coughed and turned back towards me. "I-In any case, I have high expectations for you, my Professor. And high hopes. But I'm certain you can lead the Black Eagle House to greatness."

Seeing Edelgard act so hard to be serious, I couldn't help but tease her a bit. "My professor, huh? I guess we work fast here in the Black Eagles, don't we, my student?"

The slight flush that Edelgard had turned a deep crimson, almost the shade of the cloak she had around her left shoulder. "T-that is… my- um, Professor! I- We…!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Caspar jumped up and pushed Edelgard to the side. "We get the picture, Edelgard!" He turned to me and grinned, punching his right hand into his left palm. "Now, let's break the ice with some training! I'm itching to see our new teacher in action!"

Hubert narrowed his eyes. "My. Enthusiastic, aren't we Caspar?" That said, he turned towards me. "However, a training session would be valuable. The mock battle is in a few days… it would be wise to get to know our new professor's strengths before then."

Petra raised her hand. "Pardon me. Why will the ice be broken?" She looked confused and frowned. "Is this a custom I have missed in my studies?"

I shook my head. "It's an expression, Petra. It means to do something to get over the nervousness of meeting someone new."

"Ah." Petra smiled. "I am understanding now. Your teachings are very helpful, Professor."

Bernadetta peeked out from behind Ferdinand moaned. "I don't want to train! Can't we just stay in the classroom and read?"

At that time, a loud snore echoed from Linhardt.

Dorothea's expression dropped.

Ferdinand sighed and placed a hand on his forehead. "I know we all agreed to treat each other as equals, but there is a limit to what I can tolerate. The esteemed Black Eagle House requires order."

"Says you, Ferdinand!" Caspar said. "I do what I want!"

"Caspar. I am warning you. Son of Count Bergliez or not, if you cross the line then I, in my duties as a proper noble, will have to correct you."

"Bring it, carrot top!"

"Carrot top?!"

Hubert smiled and said, "It looks like your first job will be to quiet down this racket. I don't envy you."

Edelgard groaned. "Everyone's not usually like this. I promise."

"It's about what I expected." A bunch of noble teenagers in a classroom, kept before dinner… hormones running wild and impatience growing while waiting for their teacher. Knowing all that, I said, "I'm surprised it isn't worse."

Edelgard looked taken aback. "Why Professor. I'm hurt… though I suppose you have a point."

I shrugged. "It can't be any worse than what Manuela is dealing with right now."

She had to put up with Claude and his rather… unique personality.

"I suppose that is true. Professor Manuela and Claude… I pity her."

I glanced at the rest of the class.

Like Hubert said, it would come down to me to bring some semblance of order back to everyone. Thankfully, these were somewhat rational young adults and not primary or secondary students.

In the corner of my eyes, I saw Sothis sit on top of the podium where I would be teaching. She smiled and said, "Well, Byleth. What do you plan to do?"

I glanced outside. The sun was setting, and darkness was coming. Night drew near, so training wouldn't be a good idea, especially since this place didn't have any electric lights.

I turned back to the class… no, to my students.

Dorothea had joined in on the scuffle between Caspar and Ferdinand, somehow pulling them apart and giving them a dressing down with her words.

Bernadetta had retreated back to her desk, burying her head like it was the end of the world.

Petra looked confused, Linhardt was fast asleep…

And both Hubert and Edelgard were watching me, observing me.

Hm… I hadn't planned to pull out Plan B so early, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Alright everyone, follow me."

That said, I turned around and walked out of the classroom.

Sothis appeared at my right side when I did and she said, "So we are doing_ that_?" The goddess hummed and said, "I suppose you wish for me to go on ahead to prepare?"

Yes please?

"And do you not fear the potential consequences of this course of action?"

…It'll probably be a bit suspicious, but what's life without a few risks, right? Besides, being a bit mysterious will throw off the people watching me.

"Risks… yes. I suppose this is at least better than the passive approach you were taking to this point." Sothis nodded and said, "Very well. Then I shall go on ahead."

Thanks again, Sothis.

She nodded and then vanished in a display of golden light.

When Sothis vanished, Edelgard caught up to me and took her place. "Professor," she said. "May I ask what you plan to do? And where you plan to lead us?"

Hubert appeared on my left side and nodded. "Yes, Professor. Whatever do you intend to do with us?"

I ignored him for a bit to glance back and check on the other Black Eagles.

Caspar had managed to wake Linhardt up. The sleepy student drowsily followed Caspar, stifling wide yawns. As for Caspar himself, he hopped in place and threw out jabs, obviously preparing for a fight.

Behind the two, Dorothea shook her head, clearly exasperated by them. Still, she caught my gaze and smiled, so it looked like she wasn't too upset about the change in scenery.

Petra walked beside Dorothea. While she looked a bit confused by everything, she went along with it without any hesitation.

As for Ferdinand, he took the rear of our little group. Well, almost. Bernadetta was still hiding behind him, but since she was actively avoiding eye contact with me, I decided to ignore her for the time being.

She'd open up pretty soon anyway, with what I had planned. Now I just had to stall for a while before we got there…

"Professor?" Edelgard said. "You never answered my question." Her violet eyes carried a hint of confusion. They scanned my face, as if trying to do so would give her the answers she sought.

Unfortunately, if deadpanning was a skill, Byleth would have rank S.

Still, I didn't want her to start to think I was leading them all to be murdered or something… which Hubert was clearly beginning to do so, judging from the not so subtle gathering of dark magic around his left hand.

I tilted my head and said, "Isn't it obvious? We're going on a field trip."

Edelgard frowned. "A field trip?"

While we were all talking in English, or I assumed so at least, that didn't mean that everything I said would make sense. Some common words only came about due to specific contexts… That was something I'd have to take note of in the future.

"…Right. Terminology." I muttered and shook my head and quickly made an excuse. "It's a term I used as a mercenary. Anyway, think of this as an excursion. An expedition of sorts."

Edelgard raised an eyebrow as we rounded the corner of the classrooms and began walking towards the western dormitories. "An expedition," she said. "One that leads us to the dormitories?"

"That's right."

We rounded the second corner, leading to the pavement in front of the dorms. Or, more importantly, to the area in front of my room.

It looked like Sothis had set everything up, so now…

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Not much to say today. This chapter was mostly an experiment in having so many characters on screen at once. Juggling them all is a bit harder than anticipated... well, hopefully I'll get better as time goes on.

Hope it was a good read!

Thanks as always for sticking around and your input.


	12. Handwave

**Author's Note:**

It would appear that FFN didn't mark that I updated this story yesterday when I did yet again. Not sure why… maybe it doesn't expect people to do daily uploads of considerable length and assumes that it's a mistake? Either way, if you haven't read chapter 11, I recommend doing so before this. It will make a bit more sense if you do, though it shouldn't take away from the enjoyment of this chapter.

* * *

Edelgard stared at me, confusion clear on her face. "…Professor?"

"Yes?"

She eyed what I was holding and then said, "What are you doing?"

I flipped a burger patty on the grill with the spatula in my right hand and said, "Cooking, obviously."

"I can see that, but…" Her eyes slid to my clothes, specifically the white apron hung over my shirt and the brown mitts worn over my hands. After that, her gaze shifted to the cooler of meat by my left side, the electric grill in front of me, and then the plate of already cooked meat placed on a folding table standing on my right. "How did you manage this?" She frowned. "Does becoming a professor at the Officers Academy pay this well? I recall you saying that you were satisfied with the job, but…"

I used a pair of tongs I held in my left hand to check on a cut of steak. Poking it, I felt that it was still a bit softer than I liked. Medium rather than medium well. But then, it wasn't meant for me.

"Caspar! Steak's done!"

"FINALLY!" The boisterous young man with blue hair hopped to his feet and ran over. He grabbed a plate from the stack of extras on the table and stopped in front of me. "You're a life saver, Teach!"

I picked up the steak and plopped it on Caspar's plate. "I do my best."

Caspar gave me a thumbs up and grinned before running back to sit down on the picnic blankets I'd laid out on the lawn.

Edelgard placed her right hand on her forehead and sighed. "If this is how they treat you, I can see why you refused my offer."

I flipped another burger patty and looked around my surroundings.

Plan B, it seemed, was in full effect and working just as I planned.

I had intended to save it for later, maybe to celebrate winning the upcoming mock battle or the one at Gronder Field, but I figured that an early rapport building exercise was a good investment.

Earlier in the day, I'd done some experimenting with alchemy, or at least some form of it. While I couldn't make anything too complicated, I managed to make some basic barbecue equipment and ingredients for cooking. Also an oven and some baking ingredients. Fortunately, while a bit different in appearance and material, there were some similar things in Fodlan so I wasn't in too much trouble.

Glancing around, I saw that things were going well.

Linhardt was taking a nap on the lawn, sleeping off a food coma. His cup of water had spilled, soaking his uniform. It looked like that wasn't enough to bother him, however, since he was still fast asleep.

After grabbing his steak, Caspar headed back to sit down with Dorothea, Ferdinand, and Petra. Barely a moment after he did, the blue-haired young man was chowing down, ripping into his steak with gusto.

Petra and Ferdinand were having an in depth conversation about… weapons development and trade between Fodlan and Brigid? It was interesting, but a bit out of my depth to pay too much attention to.

Dorothea was delicately eating a burger, using a knife and fork to cut pieces off. Though, from the way she was sending not so subtle glances my way, I think it was on purpose. Between that, however, she occasionally chimed in to comment on Caspar's etiquette.

I shifted my gaze away from them and towards the person standing in front of me.

Edelgard had taken it upon herself to keep me company during grill duty… though I think that it was more because she found it annoying that she couldn't figure out how I managed all this. She commandeered the wooden chair from my room the moment we arrived and placed it directly in front of the grill, just far enough to not be bothered by the smoke. Otherwise, she was staring me down as I cooked.

Bernadetta ran to hide in my room the moment we arrived. I wasn't too sure what she was doing now, but if I had to guess, I would say that the sight of the cookies baking in the oven I'd made was keeping her occupied.

As for the last member of the Black Eagle, our resident evil chancellor was standing stealthily behind me in what should have been my blind spot. It was professionally done as well, making me wonder if he hadn't class changed into an assassin before the story had started. Of course, as stealthy as he was, it was hard to hide when you didn't regulate your mana signature.

…Which I suppose was an unfair criticism considering that I didn't think anyone else was as familiar with mana at its base form as I was.

All in all, it seemed Plan B… or rather, Plan Barbecue was working just as intended.

There was a flash of gold light to my left and Sothis appeared. "Well of course it would work. What person would turn down a free meal, particularly one where they are free to indulge to their heart's content?"

Heya, Sothis. How are the cookies going?

Sothis sighed. "As well as they can be. While your recipe was correct, it would appear that the ingredients you conjured were a bit off."

Off?

"Hm… I believe that they will end up becoming rather sweeter than anticipated. Far more potent than any honey or fruit based sweeteners available in this region, at least."

Ah. Right. Forgot that purified granulated sugar probably isn't common around here. Though, too sweet?

"Quite. While I am unsure of the miracle through which you conjured them… indeed, such blatant disregard for the rules of magic I have never seen, it would appear that your intent to create a sweetener overpowered the balance."

Mm… makes sense. I was mostly just using my memories as a base, and considering everything going on… Wait, but what do you mean about the blatant disregard for the rules of magic?

Sothis gave me a look that could rival Byleth's deadpan and said, "You are creating matter from nothing."

Hey now, it's matter from _mana_. There's a clear difference.

"That is sophistry! Such a phenomenon…!" Sothis's hands reached for her hair and then she calmed herself. "No. Perhaps I should expect such things. After all, you are clinically delusional."

I'll have you know that I'm perfectly sane.

"In any case," Sothis said. "The oven is being watched over by the shy one."

Bernadetta? Makes sense. She does enjoy sweets.

"That much I can see, considering how quickly she took to hiding in your room. I do not believe her eyes have parted from the sight of the cookie platter since you have arrived."

Well, it must be a captivating experience. Though, I guess that sweet smell helps…

"Professor?"

I blinked.

Edelgard was frowning. "Did you hear what I said?"

"That one was asking about when you managed to acquire all of your cooking utensils. And ingredients." Sothis smiled. "It would appear that the mystery of it is causing her no shortage of irritation."

Thanks, Sothis.

Sothis smiled. "Yes, yes. Praise me more."

You're beautiful, intelligent, and probably the only person I trust in this world with my life?

Sothis let out a content smile and nodded. "Indeed I am. Now, I shall return to observing the cookies."

Alright. Thanks.

Sothis waved and floated back into my room.

As for Edelgard… I turned towards her and said, "Are you that curious?"

Edelgard huffed and said, "Of course! As the heir to the Adrestrian Empire, I must say that my pride is hurt somewhat at the fact that such an overt amount of goods had been transported beneath my notice."

I raised an eyebrow and said, "You make it sound like you have the entire monastery under surveillance."

Edelgard coughed. "N-Nothing of the sort! I am merely stating that it is a poor measure of my awareness to have not seen you transport so many things to your room. The most I saw were-" Edelgard cut herself off and flushed. "T-That is to say… Ahem."

"Relax." I pointedly ignored the stalker behavior Edelgard half-admitted to and examined a burger patty. Seeing it was done, I picked it up with the spatula and placed it on the plate beside me. "And for your curiosity, I did it in the dead of night."

Well, more like the middle of the afternoon, but she didn't need to know that.

"The dead of night?" Edelgard frowned. "I suppose that does make sense. I cannot even begin to imagine how else you transported so much under such heavy scrutiny... Yet, to do so would require an elite batallion to cross the monastery borders." She looked up at me. "Do you mean to say that you are in command of such men?"

I checked the rest of the burger patties on the grill and then, seeing that they were done, placed them all on the plate beside me. After that, I picked up some more steaks from the cooler to place on the grill. When that was done, I turned back to Edelgard and said, "You give me too much credit, and the Knights of Seiros too little. Don't you think they would have noticed a group like that skulking around?"

That wasn't a bad guess though. Byleth, in a new game plus at least, would actually have a practical army of expert soldiers from all allegiances under his command by this point in time. Not sure how he actually got them, but they would be there for him… Hm. That's another thing to add to the list of things to check.

The sound of sizzling meat and soft conversation from the Black Eagles echoed. However, Edelgard was surprisingly quiet.

Glancing up from cooking, I saw that the princess was frowning, her brows furrowed in contemplation.

It took me a moment to realize why. While I'd been focusing on me and Byleth, there actually _was_ a group like that skulking around, wasn't there? And one that Edelgard was in contact with. At the moment, they weren't too active yet, but they looked like they would start making their moves soon, judging from how Tomas was in the chapel.

Before her silence could stretch on long enough to rouse suspicion, Edelgard said, "Of course they would. But then, how did you-?"

"Magic."

"…Magic?"

I nodded and did my best to keep a straight face. "Of course. Warp and Rescue are very useful spells."

Spells that I desperately wanted to get my hands on. But I was still working on a plan to find someone that knew them. I thought about asking Manuela, but odds are that she wouldn't know them yet. Even if we were operating under new game plus rules, she wouldn't be available to buy skill proficiency for a while yet.

Maybe I should just burn a few pulses quizzing Rhea down the line? No, tea time would probably work better. Less suspicious. It would have to wait until the first mission though… And I'd have to explain it to Dad. Wouldn't want him to think that Rhea was corrupting me or anything.

Edelgard's eyes lit up, She nodded, satisfied with my answer. "I see. Then instead of a battalion of men, you would only need a dedicated few. And with your magical prowess… Impressive, Professor."

I flipped a steak and nodded. "I do my best. Though… how long are you going to stand there?"

"Hm?" Edelgard tilted her head. "What do you mean, Professor? Am I a nuisance?"

I shook my head. "Not you, Edelgard. While it's a bit distracting having you stare at me from across my grill while I cook, I'm referring to your very intimidating retainer standing behind me in my blind spot."

Edelgard blinked and then frowned. "Hubert? Since when have you been standing there?"

Hubert laughed, a chilling sound that could only have been intentional. It was clear that he wanted to strike fear into my heart, probably to discourage me from being so familiar with Edelgard.

Unfortunately for him, I didn't technically have a heart, at least one that worked. Not only that, but it was impossible for me to be scared of someone that looked like a young Severus Snape.

Hubert stepped out from behind me, perhaps realizing that it was pointless or to show respect to Edelgard. He quickly walked around to stand beside the imperial princess and said, "I apologize, Lady Edelgard. However, one of us must ensure that our instructor does not _accidentally_ prepare a harmful meal." He gave me a cold smile and said, "No offense to your skill of course, Professor."

"None taken, intimidating student of mine. Are you hungry, though?" I picked up a rare steak and said, "You look like you could use some iron in your diet."

Hubert's eyes narrowed, but he kept up his smile. "I appreciate the gesture, but as Lady Edelgard's retainer it would undermine my role to partake in a meal while in the presence of potential danger."

I shrugged and placed the steak back on the grill. "If you say so."

Edelgard frowned. "Hubert. You're being very disrespectful to our Professor."

I flipped the steaks I just placed on the grill and then shook my head. "I don't mind. Wouldn't be the first time." It was better than the teenagers or tweens I was used to, anyway. Damn new generation and their clout chasing… Tch. Sidetracking again.

I gestured towards my face and said, "Comes with the territory. I think… Hubert, was it?"

"That is correct," Hubert said.

"Right. I think Hubert can understand. I imagine there have been more than a few times where people have mistaken him for a ghost or an agent from death."

Hubert laughed, still cold but a bit more amused than intimidating. "Indeed. If I am not mistaken, Miss Varley continues to believe that I am an incarnation from beyond the grave meant to take her into the night."

I looked at Edelgard and shrugged. "See? He gets it."

Edelgard's frown deepened. "I do not think that is something to be proud of, but I suppose I must praise your empathy? And I do think that you are overestimating your intimidation factor, Professor. At least, you do not seem that intimidating in comparison to Hubert."

Hubert laughed. "Why Lady Edelgard. Should I be hurt?"

Edelgard flushed. "Argh… this is your fault, Professor!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You… hmph. If that's how it is then… Hubert."

"Yes, Lady Edelgard?"

Edlegard rolled up her sleeves and said, "Come. We will be taking over the cooking duty from this point onward."

Hubert frowned. "…Pardon?"

Edelgard gestured towards the grill and said, "This entire time the Professor has done nothing but cook for us." She turned to me and said, "Will you not stop and take a moment to eat as well?"

I shook my head. "Don't worry about it. I'll have plenty of food to eat later."

Hubert nodded. "It would appear that the professor is adamant against your decision, Lady Edelgard. Might I suggest you reconsider?"

"Of course not," Edelgard said. "What kind of leader would I be if I cannot do at least this small favor as thanks?" She turned towards me and held out her hand. "Now Professor, give me the utensils and go eat."

I glanced at Edelgard and then at the grill. If I let her cook… hm. Did she know how to cook? I couldn't remember.

"Professor." Edelgard frowned. "I insist."

I looked over at Hubert and then glanced at the grill and Edelgard.

Did Hubert understand? Either way, the somber man nodded and not so subtly maneuvered himself in front of the grill. "Allow me, Lady Edelgard. And Professor, do take the time to rest. It will be a long year, and it would be ever so unfortunate for you to collapse before your tenure is complete."

"Alright." I took off my cooking apron and mitts before tossing them to Hubert. "Just make sure the meat doesn't burn and take it off when it looks good to eat."

To Hubert's credit, he managed to catch them without breaking a sweat.

Another point to the guy speccing as an assassin before all of this. I really did need to check everyone's combat skills soon. From the spar I saw earlier and now Hubert's skills, I had a feeling that they might not all be in their canon builds…

Edelgard frowned and crossed her arms. "Professor."

I held up my hands. "I'm going, I'm going." I grabbed a plate and tossed some meat on it before heading over to sit on the lawn with the others.

* * *

Walking over to Caspar and the others, I noticed that there were already some subtle relationship dynamics forming.

Petra and Ferdinand were seated next to each other their plates of food long forgotten in their conversation.

Dorothea was seated beside Caspar, occasionally fussing with his shirt or reprimanding him for messy eating.

As for Caspar, he was clearly enjoying his food, but I noticed that he kept glancing at Petra. He tried to be subtle about it, but it was clear to people who were looking.

Also, Ferdinand occasionally glanced over at Dorothea as well, a flicker of confusion in his eyes when he did.

Again, more changes for me to take note of. They were slight, barely noticeable. Almost irrelevant in the long scheme of things. But I had a feeling they were more than that. They had to be… and if I wasn't careful, it could come back to bite me.

What was that story…? For want of a nail, the kingdom was lost? Either way…

"Oh hey, Professor!" Caspar noticed me and waved. "Here, let me make some room." He picked up his plate and scooted over before patting on the space beside him and Dorothea.

"Professor?" Ferdinand looked up and said, "Ah, so you have finally decided to join us." He frowned. "My apologies. I was so involved in my conversation with Petra here that I lost track of time. In the future, if there are any tasks you require of me, do not be afraid to ask." Ferdinand smiled and said, "While I may not be the best cook, I can assure you that I am better than most."

Dorothea rolled her eyes. "Sure, Ferdie. Whatever you say."

"What?" Ferdinand lifted his hands and said, "It is true. I will have you know that my cooking is quite acclaimed in the Aegir household."

"Ha!" Dorothea shook her head. "A noble like you, cooking? That'll be the day."

Petra frowned. "Is that such an odd event? I am lacking this understanding- Ah, that is. I am… I do not understand. Why is a noble unable to cook? And why is Ferdinand cooking being the day?"

Dorothea sighed. "Sorry, Petra. I just meant that Ferdinand being able to cook is unlikely."

"Dorothea! I am hurt." Ferdinand shook his head. "This will not do." He turned to me and said, "Professor. I insist that you allow me to take over the cooking duties. I must rectify this misunderstanding at once."

Dorothea laughed. "That'll be a sight." She turned to me and said, "What do you think, Professor? Care to let Ferdie here try his hand at cooking?"

I took a bite from my steak and then said, "Edelgard practically blackmailed me to get me to come over here. You think I'll just let somebody walk up and cook my food?"

"Huh?" Petra frowned. "Why is Edelgard giving you black mail? Does she plan to duel you to the death?"

I had to resist the urge to cough. Damn, Petra had keen insight.

"A duel, huh?" Caspar took a bite from his steak and said, "I wonder who'd win between you and Edelgard, Professor."

Dorothea sighed. "You're making this worse, Caspar. And Petra, blackmail isn't a dueling invitation. It's like… coercion. You know, making someone do something because you have dirt on them?"

Petra frowned. "What is dirt having to do with coercion?"

"That's…" Dorothea sighed. "Professor? Care to explain?"

I took a bite from my steak and then said, "Blackmail is when you are threatening to harm something that a person holds valuable or expose a secret of theirs unless they do as you wish. And Edelgard didn't actually blackmail me. She just… quite forcefully suggested that I should come eat."

"Ah." Petra nodded. "That is making sense. Once again, I have gratitude for your teachings, Professor. And I apologize for the troubles." The Brigid princess furrowed her brows. "Fodlan's language is… difficult to grasp. Much more than Brigid's."

"Mm. Probably has to do with the phrasing and tenses. There are a lot of irregularities in the language with lots of exceptions and rules." A fact that I'd dealt with countless times when having to explain grammar to the middle-schoolers I'd tutored to earn some extra cash.

Petra lit up. "Yes! This is true. Many things are not making sense to me because of that. Such as why one word means many things. Or the many words that are sounding the same."

I nodded. "That would do it."

"Impressive, Professor." Ferdinand looked to me thoughtfully. "If being a mercenary can result in one being so learned, perhaps it would not be such a bad occupation."

"That's what I'm saying, Ferdinand!" Caspar nodded. "See? Professor's not only strong, but smart too!"

"Well," I said. "I'm a bit of an exception." The understatement of the year, but true nonetheless. "Most mercenaries are typically unlearned and only skilled at fighting."

"Most, but not all, right Professor?" Caspar said. "That means there's hope for me still!"

Dorothea leaned over towards me and said, "Where _did_ you learn all of this, Professor? It can't have been just on the job, can it?"

I paused. I couldn't tell them that I had memories from another world and pursued years of higher education. So, along with how I obtained all of my grilling supplies, I decided to do some more hand-waving. "Trade secret."

Dorothea pouted and crossed her arms. "That's not fair. You can't just tease us like that!"

I had to admit, it was cute. However, I'd built up more than enough immunity to cuteness in my time. Still, I couldn't let that go unchallenged. I tilted my head and said, "Care to tell me the color of your underwear and cup size?"

Ferdinand coughed. "Professor! That is a bit… forward of you, is it not?"

I shrugged and ripped off another chunk of my steak. "What? My trade secrets are just as important."

Ferdinand shook his head. "While I… cannot argue with you on that, do you not think that such words are a bit improper?"

"It's fine, Ferdie." Dorothea glanced at me, her face a few shades redder than usual. "If that's what it takes, I don't mind? But I'm going to have to trust you to keep this quiet, alright?" She started to lean towards me, moving her lips towards my ear, no doubt to whisper her close kept secrets.

Mission abort!

I quickly held up my hand to stop her and said, "Also, you're not my type, Dorothea."

As expected, the former idol froze. "What?"

It was a blatant lie, but I definitely couldn't juggle a relationship right now or the fallout from something like that while I hadn't even begun taking proper countermeasures for the future. It wasn't like this was Fates or Awakening where relationships could be forged and led to marriage without repercussions. I was a professor, and lines had to be drawn in the sand _somewhere_.

"Ooh." Caspar smiled. "Turned down by the professor. That's gotta hurt, Dorothea."

Dorothea frowned. "Caspar. Do we need to have a talk again?"

Caspar laughed and scratched the back of his head.

Petra spoke up. "If Dorothea is not being your type, Professor, what is it?"

"Yes." Dorothea narrowed her eyes. "Just how am I not your type?"

Ferdinand shrugged. "Perhaps it is your aggressive approach? Our professor is the soft-spoken type. Maybe a maiden that is more reserved like Bernadetta would be more to his liking?"

"Bernie?" Dorothea frowned. "Is that true, Professor?"

Caspar shrugged. "I dunno. Edelgard seems to have something going on with you, doesn't she, Professor?"

"Oh. Ohhh, that's right!" Dorothea looked at me with a sly grin. "Aiming for the future Emperor now, are we? In that case, I get it. Doesn't mean I'll give up any time soon, but I get it."

"Mm…" I took the last bit of steak on my plate and thoughtfully chewed on it, carefully considering my next words. After swallowing, I said, "Edelgard's nice and all, but…"

Dorothea leaned forward. "But?"

Before I could answer, a frost voice echoed from behind me. "Yes, Professor. Just what is it about me that is not to your liking, hm?"

I turned to see Edelgard standing there with a plate of cooked meat. The burger patties were properly cooked but the steaks… calling them well-done would be tactful, but calling them almost burnt would be truer to life.

I frowned and said, "Probably the fact that the meat you said you would cook is just barely not burned?"

Edelgard flushed. "Yes, well…"

Hubert walked over carrying another plate of meat. "My apologies, Professor. I underestimated the heat on your cooking apparatus. Regardless, I hope this is acceptable."

The meat on Hubert's plate was perfectly singed. He had even taken the initiative to cut them, revealing a soft pink center.

Huh. I guess Hubert was a man of many talents. I nodded and said, "That's pretty good, Hubert. Were this an assignment, I'd give you full marks."

Edelgard's eyes flitted between her plate of food and Hubert's. After that, she sighed. "I suppose that makes sense. Men do like women who can cook…"

Hubert shook his head. "Lady Edelgard. There is no need to worry about such a thing. As the future Adrestrian Emperor, there is no need to learn a useless skill when there are many who would gladly take on such a task in your name."

"True. But…"

In the corner of my eyes, I saw a flash of green.

Sothis appeared off to the side and waved. "The cookies are done! The shy one is watching them right now, but if you take any longer, she might take them out before you."

I immediately jumped to my feet.

Edelgard flinched. "Professor?"

"Excuse me. I have to grab the cookies."

"Cookies?"

Caspar jumped up and pumped his fist in the air. "Alright, cookies! You're the best, Professor!"

Linhardt groaned and said, "Be quiet, Caspar. Some of us are trying to sleep."

Edelgard coughed and said, "Do you require any assistance with that, Professor? Carrying the cookies, that is."

While Edelgard did her best to hide it, I could clearly see the excitement in her eyes. Still, the fact that she was putting on the polite mask instead of enjoying herself made me want to tease her a bit.

"Don't worry." I nodded and said, "You'll have first taste, Delly."

"D-Delly?" Edelgard's eyes widened and she turned a deep shade of red.

Mission successful. It looked like Edelgard had short-circuited… and Hubert was getting ready to assassinate me in broad daylight, judging from the dark spike forming in his left hand.

That was my cue to leave.

I nodded to Edelgard and said, "I'll be right back."

The moment I turned around and started walking to my room, I heard Dorothea speak up.

"So… Delly, huh? Now what was that about there being nothing between you, Edie?"

"P-Professor!" Edelgard shouted after me. "I insist that you explain yourself! People will misunderstand!"

"Now, Edie. Don't think you're getting away this time. Spill."

Sothis laughed and floated alongside me. "My. You're having quite the fun time with the little ones, aren't you?"

You bet I am. Now… how did the cookies turn out?

* * *

Walking inside of my room, I noted that Bernadetta was indeed watching the stove. She was crouched in front of the glass window in the oven door and stared at the cookies, as transfixed as a toddler was after discovering YouTube for the first time.

I shut the door behind me, softly as to not startle her. Unfortunately, Bernadetta was more sensitive than I thought.

"Eek! Professor!" Bernadetta flinched and jumped away from the oven. "I wasn't planning on sneaking a few cookies! I swear!"

I grabbed a pair of mitts from a nearby drawer and walked towards the oven. "I believe you."

Bernadetta moaned. "That's not the look of someone who believes me! Am I going to fail? This is what I get for falling to the tempting, sugary sweetness of cookies!" She ran off to the other side of the room and crouched on the ground. Covering her head in her hands, she said, "Stupid Bernie! Idiot! Unmarriageable!"

I ignored her for the moment and glanced at the cookies. Since chocolate was scarce, and since it'd draw even _more _questions on how I managed to obtain such an expensive luxury, the cookies I made were just ordinary sugar cookies. Of course, I'd cross-referenced Byleth's memory on food in Fodlan to ensure I didn't make anything _too_ outrageous. Unfortunately, if Sothis was right, I might have bit off more than I could chew on that end.

I pulled out the tray of cookies and frowned when I got a waft of how sweet they were.

Maybe I should have just had a barbecue and skipped the cookies? These seemed like something to save for a special occasion rather than a first-day thing. And come to think of it, baking cookies would have made for an excellent Plan C…

Sothis floated over beside me and leaned over to look at the cookies. "These treats of yours smell quite delectable."

Want one?

"I appreciate the thought, but it would raise questions of how one of your treats suddenly vanished, would it not?"

True…

Sothis shook her head. "It is fine, Byleth. Today is a day for you and the little ones. If you insist on showing gratitude, I would not mind waiting until our day of birth."

Right. That's a thing. The first of August, right?

"The first day of the Verdant-Rain Moon… but yes. I do believe it falls upon a Friday as well." Sothis smiled. "I expect quite the celebration on that day."

No promises. With how things are going-

Footsteps echoed from outside.

I glanced over to see the door open and Edelgard walk in. When she noticed me standing in front of the oven, she let out a long sigh and closed the door behind her. "You're having a bit too much fun, Professor." She glanced to the other side of the room and frowned. "And… is that Bernadetta?"

Bernadetta wailed and then jumped to her feet. After scanning the room with an expression of a terrified rabbit, she jumped into my bed and threw the covers over herself.

Sothis laughed. "My, how entertaining that one is. The descriptions of her as prey are quite apt."

She'll get better. Probably. Hopefully?

"Yes, well…" Sothis shook her head. "We shall see. Now, do pay attention to your princess."

I turned to Edelgard. Quickly running back what she said in my head, I nodded and said, "It would appear so."

Edelgard shook her head. "What a mess." She smoothed her expression and began walking towards Bernadetta. "Allow me to handle this, my Professor."

"Before that." I set the tray of cookies down on the top of the oven and took off my mitts. "Want to try one?"

Edelgard froze.

"I did promise you first taste. And girls like sweets, right? That's what I assume anyway. Am I wrong?"

Edelgard slowly turned around. She made an effort to look at me, but her eyes kept moving towards the tray of cookies behind me. "I-I couldn't. Not before everybody else."

I grabbed a napkin, stealthily requisitioned from the kitchen by Sothis, and picked up a cookie with it. Since it was a bit hot, I waved my hand over it to cool it down. "Are you sure?" I turned towards Edelgard and said, "These are the best right after they come out of the oven. Any longer and it won't be as good. Well, it'll still be tasty, but not 'perfect' like now."

Edelgard gulped. Subtle, but not enough to go beneath my notice. "P-Perfect?"

I nodded. "Gooey, sweet, and melt in your mouth. You won't get this chance twice."

Sothis laughed. "My. Did you know? At the moment, you look like quite the devil. Such an offer with such an expression… and one that is so hard to refuse as well. At least, for that one."

Well, better me than the real bad guys, right?

"I suppose," Sothis said. "Is this your plan? Winning the princess over with sweets?"

If it works?

Sothis shook her head and floated into the corner of the room.

Edelgard frowned, as if forcibly restraining herself. "I… that is…"

Suddenly, a purple blur streaked in front of her. Bernadetta lunged out and snatched the cookie from the napkin in my hand before landing in the corner of the room, nibbling on it like a rabbit. "Ouch! Hot!"

I froze.

Sothis gasped. "She… Did the shy one steal the cookie before the princess's eyes?" After the initial shock, Sothis laughed. "My. Perhaps there is some merit in your plan after all. For that one to throw away her restraints… your cookies are fearsome indeed."

I didn't know how to respond. I knew that Bernadetta liked sweets too, but to so desperately grab the cookie that was meant for Edelgard. Were they really that good? Or was she just that starved for sugar? Maybe hunger drove her a bit mad?

From how Bernadetta's expression dropped immediately after she landed, it seemed that she realized what she did. The lavender haired girl slowly turned around to look at Edelgard. However, she didn't stop chewing on the cookie while she did.

Edelgard's eyes were cold, frosty, and almost bloodthirsty. "Bernadetta. You-"

Bernadetta screamed and then ran out of my room, crumbs trailing behind her. At least, that was the plan. Since Edelgard had shut the door behind her, Bernadetta ended up running headfirst into it. "Ow!" She winced, almost dropping her cookie. Yet, with unbelievable reflexes, she managed to both grab the cookie before it hit the ground and open the door in the same move. The moment that the door opened, she charged through it, running off into the distance.

"Bernie!? What are you-"

That was Dorothea. I couldn't see her reaction from where I was, but from her voice she sounded pretty shocked.

"Wait. Is that a-"

"IT WAS WORTH IT!" Bernadetta's scream echoed through the air, her voice fading as she ran off towards her room.

I blinked and slowly looked down at the empty napkin in my right hand.

Was it… really that good?

"BERNADETTA VON VARLEY!" Edelgard yelled and started to run after her. "You get back here this instance! I will-"

I grabbed Edelgard before things got too out of hand… though I had a feeling that the faculty meeting tomorrow morning was going to be a bit of a hassle.

Sothis nodded. "Indeed. I do believe that such lively behavior may be a first for this _most esteemed academy_." The goddess slipped into an imitation of Seteth's voice at the end.

…Right. Seteth. He was a thing.

Note to self: grab a fish before heading off tomorrow morning to give to Seteth. Maybe that will make him not so annoyed…

"P-Professor?"

Edelgard's confused voice drew me out of my thoughts.

I blinked and realized that I was still holding onto her arm. That, and Edelgard was slowly turning red.

Hm. Well, in for a penny, in for a pound.

"Relax, Delly." I gently walked her over to the tray of cookies.

"This is… Um, I do believe that-"

I picked up a cookie and offered it to Edelgard. "There's plenty more. I made two dozen, so each of us can have three."

"…Three?"

I nodded. Since Edelgard seemed to have calmed down a bit, I let go of her arm and placed two more cookies on the napkin. "Here." I offered the cookies to her and said, "Eat this and calm down. It's not a good look for the house leader to chase after one of their peers because of a mere pastry, is it?"

"I… you're right, my Professor." Edelgard sighed and took the offered cookies. "Thank you."

"No problem, Delly."

Edelgard furrowed her brows. "However, I must insist that you stop calling me that childish pet name."

"Why? It's sweet, just like you."

Edelgard flushed again but, maybe since she was expecting it now, she managed to keep her composure. She took a bite of her cookie. "It's not nice to tease your students, my Prof- mm." Her words were cut off by a low moan. "So sweet." She turned towards me, all traces of irritation replaced with a bright smile. "How did you make these?"

"Trade secret." And it looked like Plan C was definitely a thing. Distracting girls with sweets… who knew it'd come in handy here too?

Sothis sighed in the corner of the room. "Again, you look like quite the villain doing this. What is it you called such people in your world…?"

A genius? Brilliant?

"Ah. A drug dealer. That is the term that I was looking for."

I frowned.

Sothis smirked.

Edelgard munched on the rest of her cookie, delicately and slowly, savoring every crumb. "This is… magnificent. Such sweetness, such soft, flaky textures…" She turned towards me with wide eyes. "Tell me, is your role as a mercenary a guise? You are truly a master chef, are you not?"

Resisting the easy pun of saying I was Master Chief, I shook my head and said, "No, I'm a professor."

Edelgard rolled her eyes. "Of course you would say that. I should have expected it by now." After saying that, her eyes drifted towards the tray of cookies.

I quickly put my oven mitts back on and picked it up, moving it out of Edelgard's reach. "Only three."

Edelgard flinched. "I-I had no intention of asking for more. What do you take me for, a naïve young girl that could be swayed by sweets?"

I raised an eyebrow.

The refined and regal imperial princess did a perfect act of being heartbroken at such an accusation. It would have been perfect, too, except for one detail.

"Say that again after you've cleaned the crumbs off your face, Delly."

That time, Edelgard turned a deep red and averted her gaze.

I turned around and started walking away with the cookies before my mask broke. Even with Byleth's emotionless expression, faced with the sheer adorable embarrassment of Edelgard, it would be impossible not to smile or laugh.

It was good that Sothis did enough of that for the both of us, the goddess's joyful laughter echoing as I left.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

A bit of a fun chapter.

The main inspiration for this scene came from the fact that Byleth has to have storage for all the cooking ingredients _somewhere_. The most likely scenario is that he has a coldbox or fridge somewhere in the kitchen, but I like to think that there's a secret storeroom somewhere in his room where he stashes all his goodies. I mean, he pulls out cheesecake and pastries when he does tea time, and considering how often you can do that on free days…

Anyway, I hope that you had fun reading this chapter. Thanks as always for reading and reviewing. While I'd like to personally respond to each, I don't the have time to give a thoughtful response as I would like. Instead, I'll do my best to channel that encouragement into my writing. Thanks for your understanding, and I'll see you in the next chapter.


	13. Red Flag

Despite the mishap with Edelgard and the cookies, the rest of the barbecue went by without a hitch. If this was still the game, their motivation bars would surely be maxed out. That much was clear by the bright and satisfied smiles on everyone's faces as they left to turn in for the evening.

After reminding everyone to meet in the classroom around noon tomorrow, mostly because I wasn't sure how long the faculty meeting in the morning would go and so that I had time to plan out exactly what I should be doing after said meeting, my students slowly filtered away until I was left alone. Well, I had to give a few pointed reminders to a certain princess and her retainer after she insisted on staying behind to help clean up, but in the end, I managed it.

As Edelgard's form faded in the distance, I turned my attention to the various supplies lying around my front yard. Since it was a bit of a mess, and since this was supposed to be a prestigious Officers Academy, I had to clean everything up before the students started wandering around again tomorrow morning. I was sure that Seteth would be upset if I didn't.

I took a look around to survey the damage.

Everyone had been polite enough to not leave any litter around. The plates they had used were neatly piled on the table next to the grill, and Dorothea had even gone out of her way to fold the blankets I laid out for everyone. As for the grill itself, well… it was supposed to be easy to clean, but with how Edelgard had overcooked the meat I told her to watch, I had to do a bit of scrubbing to clean it out. Thankfully, the grill itself could be cleaned later by just heating it up and brushing it off since most of the damage was just burnt bits on the bottom, but I'd need to clean the grill grates off before putting it away since it was caked in hardened fat.

I shook my head and picked up the wooden chair Edelgard had been using and headed back in my room. As I did, though, I muttered to myself.

"Anyone watching?"

I didn't sense any gazes on me, and Byleth's instincts weren't warning me of anything. However, that just meant there was no imminent danger, not a lack of surveillance. For that, I relied on Sothis.

The goddess appeared in front of me in a flash of golden light and shook her head. "None, at least for the moment."

It was odd, but not unexpected. Maybe they were waiting for me to lower my guard. I _was_ still near the student dormitories. It was too much risk to do anything here.

I placed the wooden chair back at my desk and then grabbed a crate to carry everything that I'd need to wash. While there was running water in the form of the bathhouse near my room and the sinks in the kitchen, I didn't take people would take kindly to me using either to wash my grilling equipment and my plates. Well, maybe if I took the eccentric professor angle, but I planned to go more the mysterious and unpredictable route so that was out. Thankfully, the river that ran under the bridge near the chapel wrapped around behind the dormitories. It would be a bit of a walk, but it was manageable.

Sothis drifted beside me and hummed. "So you plan to lure them out?"

That's the plan.

If there was someone watching me, they'd have to reveal themselves when I took the walk to the river. Since most of the students had already gone to bed, the only ones walking about should be the Knights of Seiros on patrol. If there was anyone who wasn't part of that group-

"Then they must be observing you."

Right.

I picked up the things I needed to wash and placed them in the wooden crate. I also tossed in a few rags and brushes to scrub things down. When that was done, I grabbed the folding table and blanket before placing them against the wall in my room. After that, I closed the door behind me, making sure to replace my makeshift security system, and then locked it.

Turning around, I saw Sothis sitting on the wooden crate, kicking her legs a bit while they dangled off the side.

I raised an eyebrow. "Enjoying yourself?"

"Somewhat," she said. "I am mostly curious as to who will reveal themselves when you make such an overt move."

I picked up the crate and started walking down the path towards the river. It was… surprisingly light. That, or I was stronger than expected.

Sothis frowned. "How rude! Do not tell me that you were expecting me to be heavy?"

Of course not. Well, maybe a little. You can interact with stuff, so I thought you had some weight.

"Again, you are being quite rude. However, I suppose it is a reasonable thought." Sothis sighed. "To satisfy your curiosity, my presence here is akin to an apparition. As such, I do not possess physical presence as most mortals do."

That time, I had to frown.

So then how…?

Sothis shook her head. "Honestly, must I spell it out for you? Mana! Due to our shared existence, I also have the ability to manipulate mana as you do. However, as a goddess my skill is much more refined."

But not enough to use alchemy, apparently.

Sothis frowned. "Again, I must state that your version of 'alchemy' defies both the knowledge of magic in Byleth's memories and my own intuition as a goddess. It _should not work_."

I shrugged.

The sun had sunk into the horizon now, replaced by the silver moon. In the skies above, I could see a few faint stars flickering. Unfamiliar constellations, but ones that I knew from Byleth's memories. In particular, there was a bright blue star glimmering in the distance.

"So that's the star of the goddess, huh?"

"Hm?" Sothis followed my gaze. "Ah, that?"

I nodded and lowered my gaze, continuing on my path. "It's said that the goddess descended from the blue star upon Fodlan to grant her blessings… if I remembered right."

"Hm…" Sothis shook her head. "I cannot say. While most things I have some intuition towards…" She looked up at the blue star again. "That star… while beautiful, stirs nothing at all within my heart."

Nothing, huh? Maybe you aren't actually an all-powerful alien dragon that fell to Fodlan then.

Sothis huffed. "You are being awfully flippant today. Perhaps your princess has a point. You are having a bit too much fun teasing those around you."

Sorry. Should I have held back?

Sothis let out a long suffering sigh. "You are fortunate that I am a goddess with a wide heart and infinite patience."

Well, you control time. It'd be odd if you didn't have infinite patience.

Sothis was quiet, pointedly ignoring my comment.

I suppressed a smile and continued on my way.

Soft moonlight had taken the place of the bright sunlight from earlier. As a result, it became harder to see. Well, it should have been at least. Strangely, to my eyes everything was as bright as it was in daytime.

"A blue star…?" Sothis muttered to herself. "Could it be…?"

Hm?

Sothis shook her head. "It is nothing. Again, mere musings."

That doesn't sound like just some random musing, Sothis.

"I do not pry into _every_ thought of yours. Will you not allow me at least a similar courtesy?"

Fine, fine. If you say so.

I arrived at the river's edge. Trees lined the other side of the river, stretching down along the mountain, while the place I ended up was a small rocky area. It was a bit trampled, showing that the place had seen clear use. If I had to guess, I'd say it was a common spot for students to clean their various belongings, or maybe even wash up for the more adventurous. From how dark the water was, the river looked like it ran pretty deep.

But more importantly than that…

Sothis jumped off the crate and landed on top of the water, floating on its surface. She slowly spun around and said, "This is a perfect place for an ambush, is it not?"

I set the crate down on the ground near a small boulder and took a seat on it before pulling out the things I needed to wash. I stacked the pile of plates on my left and then submerged the grill grates in the water to let them soak for a bit. After that, I picked up a plate and started to scrub it with a rag and a bar of soap. When I did-

"Ah. It would appear that your plan worked." Sothis stared off into the path I came from and said, "There are three. Two you are familiar with, but the third is new."

Hm? Two familiar?

"Yes. It would appear that one of your students, the tall and dark one, has taken it upon himself to survey your actions. While stealthy, he is still a bit unskilled in concealment."

Tall and dark one… so Hubert. That made sense. He was probably taking account of my habits and weighing the pros and cons of assassinating me. But who was the other one?

"It is that Claude. Unlike the tall and dark one, he appears quite adept and blending into the surroundings. At the moment, he is perched upon a tree in the distance and positioned in a way so as to be unnoticeable from your current vantage point."

Claude, huh? Yet another point in the 'he knows too much' box. I'd have to settle things with him at some point to make sure… probably teatime or lunch.

But then who was the last person?

…Sothis?

The goddess bit her lip and shook her head. "I… cannot say."

I stopped washing my plate.

…What do you mean you cannot say?

Sothis shook her head. "I cannot make them out. Somehow, my 'sight' is obscured. The most I can tell is that they are using dark magic and that they are male."

Male and dark magic… The Agarthans really were preparing earlier than usual, weren't they? Though, to hide from your sight… do you think they're aware of you, Sothis?

She frowned. "It… is possible. That Solon seemed to be somewhat suspicious of you in the chapel, was he not?"

Hm… you're a god though. And there wasn't anything in the game that they could pull out that would be able to stop you. Byleth, maybe, but not you.

"That is true…"

Anyway, none of them are aiming at me with an arrow or anything, right? Just surveillance?

Sothis nodded. "It would appear so."

Then we'll just leave them be. I wiped the dish in my hand clean and placed it in the crate. After that, I took out another plate to clean.

"Are you not concerned of your actions, Byleth?"

Concerned? Why should I be?

"Perhaps the fact that you are under more scrutiny? Barely a day has passed and you have drawn the attention of three different parties, one of which can evade even my gaze."

They won't do anything yet. At least for today.

"…Again, that confidence of yours. Truly, I cannot comprehend where you draw it from."

Logic. Today was the first day of classes, in a way. While there were a lot of suspicious things I did, people won't move yet. Since this is my first appearance, it could just be a coincidence. There isn't enough yet to build a pattern.

Sothis shook her head. "That presumes that they will take a reactionary stance."

They will.

Sothis let out an exasperated sigh. "It appears that there is no convincing you of this matter."

Trust me, Sothis. I've planned this out.

I cleaned the plates for a while in silence. When I finished, I finally started to work on the grates.

…Anyway, Sothis, what were you talking about earlier?

"Hm? What are you referring to?"

I lifted up the submerged grates. Although there was still some fat caked to it, they had loosened a bit at least. Enough to start scrubbing. And as for what I was referring to… I meant the part about karma being entwined. You mentioned it earlier when talking about my students.

"Ah, that." Sothis frowned and floated over to sit on the crate. "I am sure that you have noticed the strange inconsistencies between your memory of the game and reality."

I have.

The most recent ones were how close the Black Eagles were together, as well as Solon's appearance in the chapel instead of the library. Not to mention how everything was just slightly off. Not enough to be too suspicious, at least on the surface, but concerning.

And then there was my reaction when I entered the chapel.

At that thought, I subconsciously glanced towards it. Despite being so far away, when I saw the distant form of the chapel, I felt odd. A sort of longing, yearning. Emotions that I couldn't quite keep in check.

I frowned and forcibly averted my eyes.

"It is still a suspicion of mine- no, mere speculation. However, I believe it to be the case." Sothis looked up into the starry sky and said, "Your world has many theories of Fate and Destiny. While I lack the proper memories to determine it for certain, I believe that there is a certain 'weight' to the bonds shared across time."

Weight, huh? Sounds a lot like the invisible ties Robin talked about.

"Quite. While I cannot say for certain if such a being as the Fell Dragon exists or if it was a mere story, there is truth in that man's words. His ability to escape from the grasp of a being rivalling a Divine Dragon due to his bonds is telling."

Hm… but I shouldn't have any ties with these people, should I?

Sothis frowned. "And that is the where I am confused." She shook her head and said, "You are correct. Not only do you lack any connection with these individuals, your very presence is half-removed from this world. Moreover, an earthbound spirit as yourself should not be able to interact with this world at all, and yet-"

What do you mean by that?

"Hm?"

I dried one grate and placed it in with the other washed plates. After that, I turned my attention back to Sothis.

…You mentioned earthbound spirit before, but you never explained what it meant.

I knew a bit about what earthbound spirits were. From what I could recall, they were essentially ghosts. But the way Sothis talked about it sounded like it was different than that.

The goddess nodded. "You are correct. It is indeed different. But… hm. You know of how Seiros proclaimed the goddess as the mother of all life and the arbiter of every soul?"

I do. But what does that have to do with it?

"While I cannot be certain of being the mother of all life… indeed, from your memories the most that I can attribute to is the creation of Fodlan, I do have the ability of arbitrating souls."

Hm? Arbitrating souls?

Sothis nodded. "It is nothing as awe-inspiring as being the ultimate judge over those who have departed, but I do possess the ability to peer into one's heart and resolve their concerns. I believe this is what Byleth shares in the game, allowing him to so readily command and influence students so as to defy their homeland and family in cases."

I nodded. That… made sense. It seemed like a throwaway line in the game, but if there was a grain of truth behind it, then that explained a lot.

But… what does that have to do with me being an earthbound spirit?

Sothis stared at me, her green eyes peering into my soul. She looked hesitant, as if deciding whether or not to answer.

"…Sothis. Tell me."

She shook her head. "It does not matter."

It matters to me!

Sothis tilted her head and said, "Do you trust me? Not Byleth, but _you_. Tell me, nameless spirit. Do you trust me?"

I thought about her words.

Sothis… I knew about her. From the game, I knew that she was kind and self-sacrificing. Despite being snippy with Byleth, she cared for him.

From what I've interacted with her, I saw that it wasn't just in the game either. Sothis always had my back, watching out for when I made mistakes. Making warnings for when I could walk into a mistake.

So…

"…I do."

I did.

"Then believe me when I say that you are better off not knowing everything."

…I didn't really buy it. I didn't buy it, but I had to. Even if Sothis wasn't too caring, her existence was tied to my own. So…

"Fine."

I picked up the iron grate and started cleaning it again. This time, the crusted parts washed off into the river with ease.

Sothis sighed. "I apologize. However, I can tell you this much." She tilted her head and said, "There will come a time soon where you must make a decision. At that time, if you remain as half-hearted as you are now, you will only suffer."

…Isn't that obvious? I've already sided with Edelgard. I don't plan to change that any time soon.

Sothis was quiet.

That… was concerning.

"…Yes. You have made your decision already. I can only place my trust in you. However…" Sothis stared at me. "Whatever comes to pass… swear to me. Swear that you will cut a path that is your own, and not one that the world pushes upon you."

I laughed and shook my head.

You worry too much, Sothis.

"Perhaps." Sothis muttered. "Perhaps I am worried too much. Yes, you know of what is to come, the major dangers, and countless methods to counteract it. If it is you, perhaps you can change it. However… why do I feel this sense of doom?" Sothis clutched her heart. "This sorrow, this regret…?"

We _are_ near the chapel. Maybe it's Byleth's feelings? From how things look, we seem to be on a new game plus… so maybe those bonds are affecting you as well?

Sothis nodded. "Yes. That must be it."

I finished cleaning the grates and placed them with the other things I took to wash. After that, I picked up the wooden crate and started on my way back.

"Hm? Done already."

That's right. What about my watchers?

"It would appear that they are finished as well. Perhaps your mundane actions have tired them for the night?"

Good. Now, time to head back and get some rest before the faculty meeting tomorrow.

I had a lot to sort through… hopefully tomorrow would be simpler.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hm. Probably not my best work. I'd intended to skip right to the next day or maybe show a bit of the after party, but I wound up writing this instead.

Tomorrow we should finally get to teaching the Black Eagles and move the plot along. Also, hopefully the start of the ripples will begin to show and things will slowly diverge from canon.

But we'll see. The story's kind of writing itself at this point, so... I'll find out when you do, I guess?

Either way, thanks for reading and your input, as always. Hopefully it was enjoyable.


	14. Oil and Water

A loud knock. Short and brief. Purposeful.

I blearily opened my eyes and took stock of my surroundings.

It was dark, with only the faintest rays of sunlight shining through the window in my room.

For a moment, I was confused. My vision was blurred, so I reached over to the floor beside me to grab my phone and check the time. However, instead of the blocky electronic, I felt myself touching something soft and fluffy.

I blinked and sat up in my bed, looking over.

There was a young girl with green hair sleeping there, curled up in a pile of blankets like a cat would.

I stared at her for a few seconds before my mind caught up with me.

Right. I was Byleth. We were in Garreg Mach, and I'd just finished my first day with my class. After a long barbecue and the cleanup duty, I'd gone back to my room and went straight to sleep. Sothis must have been just as tired, as she did the same thing.

"Professor Byleth." A stern male voice called out. "I apologize for waking you, but I must remind you that there is a faculty meeting this morning."

I shook my head to get rid of the last dregs of sleepiness. After that, I rolled off the bed, making sure not to step on Sothis, and walked over to open the door.

As I thought, Seteth was standing there. Unlike how I must have looked, having just rolled out of bed, he was completely awake and already properly dressed.

Today, the advisor looked to be a bit more casual. Rather than the formal white and gold robes I last saw him in, he wore something closer to a dress shirt and slacks, colored a dark blue.

I suspected that had something to do with the fact that he was acting as a faculty member of the academy at the moment rather than as a member of the church. But more than that…

"How are you so awake right now?" I muttered.

"Hm?" Seteth frowned and then said, "Ah. If you mean my lack of fatigue, well there is nothing that a few dozen cups of coffee cannot fix."

I blinked. "That… doesn't sound healthy."

For a moment, a flicker of resignation passed through Seteth's eyes. It quickly vanished, replaced by his usual stern gaze. "It comes with the role of advising the archbishop. However, I have not come to discuss my personal matters. Instead, I have come to remind you of your obligation to attend the faculty meeting today. I trust you have not forgotten?"

"Of course not." Well, not now at least. I might have to get my hands on some of the church's stock of coffee though. I'd make my own, but with how the sugar turned out, I didn't want to risk dying of caffeine overdose. It'd be an embarrassing waste of a Divine Pulse and Sothis would never let me live it down.

Seteth nodded. "Good. I was concerned that you might have with your house's jubilant celebration the prior night." Seteth's expression was neutral, but I caught a glimpse of judgment inside his gaze.

Clearly, the advisor wasn't too happy about me having a barbecue.

Bringing that up would be walking right into a stern lecture though, so I ignored the blatant trap and instead walked out of the room. "So, where is this meeting of ours?"

Seteth stepped back, allowing me to close and lock my door, before saying, "We will be heading to the council room in the northeast section of the monastery. Manuela and Hanneman have already arrived, leaving just you, Professor Eisner."

I nodded. "Thanks for getting me." I sighed and said, "I guess I'll have to get used to waking up on my own again." The lack of an alarm clock would take a bit to get used to. While I could rely on Sothis, being woken up every day by a young girl, even if she was actually a millennia old goddess, was a mark against my pride.

Seteth nodded and started walking.

I walked over to his side and kept pace with him.

"That is understandable," Seteth said. "I suppose that your father would have been the one to wake you while you were mercenaries. Jeralt did say that he was the one who handled most of your responsibilities while in the mercenary troop."

A neutral statement. However, it was also pointed, probing. Judging from the sharp gaze Seteth gaze me, he was looking for a contradiction.

…Argh. It was too early for all of this. That was probably in his plan too, wake me up early and question me when I was still groggy.

"That's right."

I gave a neutral response to buy some time. With that, I ran some mana through my left arm. It wasn't the best way to wake up, but-

Sharp, stabbing pains raced along my left arm. With that, any drowsiness I had instantly evaporated.

"Hm," Seteth said. "What _did_ you do as a mercenary then?"

Now that my mind was clear, I could think about my responses better. And for Seteth's latest question…

"Fight. Kill… at least when things weren't too dangerous." I decided to lean a bit on Seteth's empathy as a father and said, "While it was a harsh life, Dad did his best to make sure I was safe and had what I needed."

Seteth's gaze softened a bit. "I see. I suppose it must have been difficult for Jeralt to raise you alone."

"I like to think he did a good job." Minus the whole teaching me how to kill at six years old.

Seteth nodded. "While I do not wholly approve of your actions as a professor, I must agree. For his circumstances, Jeralt did well. I know just how hard it can be to raise a child by yourself."

"Flayn, right?"

Seteth froze for a brief second. He quickly looked at me, suspicion and shock in his eyes. It looked like he realized his slipup.

Before he could panic too much though, I added, "I can only imagine how hard it is to raise your sister by yourself. Dad at least had the other mercenaries to help at times."

Like Clark and Diane… though they weren't much better. Hm… I wonder what they were doing right now?

I shook my head and said, "You two just have each other, right? And you don't look much older than her… it must have been hard working enough to feed both of you while growing up yourself."

Seteth calmed down. "Yes. As her brother, it was indeed quite difficult to care for her. However, the archbishop was kind enough to provide aid, so it was not too difficult."

I nodded. "She's quite kind, isn't she? To even give someone as unqualified as me a job…" I sighed. "I know I agreed to it, but I'm still a bit worried. Teaching students, and students around my age, is something I'm not used to."

"Hm." Seteth stared at me and muttered, "Perhaps I have misjudged you."

Huh. It worked. Maybe those intro psych courses were useful after all. Still, I couldn't drop the act now, so I tilted my head and said, "What was that?"

Seteth shook his head. "Nothing important. Moreover… how are you finding your role as a professor? Have you begun forming your lesson plans yet?"

I didn't have to fake my sigh. "Not yet. Manuela and Hanneman gave me some sample lesson plans, but I'm still unsure of what exactly I should be teaching. Weapons? Tactics? Self-directed study, where I just act as a private tutor?" I shook my head. "It's still a bit confusing."

"I see." Seteth nodded. "In that case, I believe this meeting shall be enlightening. Think of it as a proper orientation for your job, as you are the latest hire."

I frowned. "What is the meeting about, anyway?"

"I apologize. It would appear that I had forgotten to mention it with our conversation." Seteth was quiet for a moment, probably thinking about the best way to sum up the meeting.

I took the time to take a look around.

In our talk, we'd managed to round the corner to the path in front of the bridge leading to the chapel. It was that paved road that cut across the monastery before branching off to the small graveyard and the Knights of Seiros training grounds and buildings.

The sun was still just peeking above the horizon, meaning that everything was still a bit dark. Other than us, the only people around were the Knights of Seiros on patrol. They were strictly focused on their duties, however, so any of the ones we came across simply continued on their way.

"The faculty meeting," Seteth said. "It can be considered an organizational necessity. Due to the division of the three houses and limited resources, it is common for the professors in charge of each house to meet and coordinate their lesson plans in order to prevent cases such as a double reservation of the training grounds."

I nodded. "That makes sense."

Seteth sighed. "Indeed. Were it implemented sooner…" He shook his head and said, "In addition to time conflicts, these meetings are meant to also coordinate lesson plans." He turned to me and said, "While you are the primary instructor for the Black Eagles, it does not mean that you will be their sole teacher. To promote interhouse unity, there will be times where you will provide seminars open to all students. In other occasions, you will have combined lectures with your colleague, or even have a guest lecture to another house."

That made sense. I always wondered why the other students were close to Byleth despite not being their house professor. If the lessons were laid out like that, it made more sense. Though…

"What about the other students then?"

"Hm?"

I frowned and said, "I get that I'm the teacher of the Black Eagles-"

"Professor, not teacher," Seteth said. "Please take caution to use your proper title. It would reflect poorly upon the Officers Academy otherwise."

"…Right. Anyway, I get that I'm the professor and that I'll do guest lectures and everything, but do I really have only eight students?"

"Hm? Have you not been informed?" Seteth tilted his head. "The students other than in your house come only to take lessons. A seminar here, a lecture there. It is a program that we offer for those less fortunate in order to gain some education, but cannot afford the full tuition."

I blinked. That was… surprisingly modern. So then the Officers Academy was basically a university.

Suddenly, my job as a 'Professor' and Seteth's disagreement made more sense.

I mean, it'd be pretty controversial for someone without even a high school diploma to teach a class at Yale. Granted, there were special exceptions for people who had proven themselves in business or something, but still…

"Ah. We have arrived."

I looked up to see that we were standing outside of a pair of looming wooden doors.

Seteth gestured towards me. "After you, Professor. However, I must insist that you keep in mind your role as an esteemed professor of the Officers Academy."

I nodded and pushed the doors open. The moment I did-

"Such behavior is intolerable, Manuela!" Hanneman's voice erupted from the open door.

"Well _excuse me_, oh educated and esteemed Crest scholar!" Manuela's voice quickly followed and she said, "I didn't know that my uneducated teaching methods bothered you so much!"

I let the doors shut and stared at Seteth. I raised an eyebrow and said, "…Esteemed professor, huh?"

Seteth had the decency to cough and then walked ahead. "Allow me." He opened the doors and walked in, gesturing for me to follow.

The inside of the council room was pretty spacious, reminiscent more of an auditorium than a meeting room. In terms of architecture, it was similar to what you would expect from a school like Harvard or Oxford, with wooden arches and rafters, along with high windows allowing in bright sunlight.

Long boards lined the left and right walls while a large map was hung on the wall directly in front of the entrance we used. There were a few doors that I could only guess led to other parts of the monastery's main building, but those were shut at the moment so I couldn't be certain.

In the center of the room, there were four long tables placed corner to corner to form an open rectangle. Wooden chairs lined the outside of the tables.

As for my fellow colleagues…

Manuela was seated at a chair in the center of the table closest to us. She had turned it on its side, so that the front seat faced the wall on my left, and sat on it with her legs crossed. Her white robe looked a bit disheveled and I could see a few smears of makeup on her face. In her right hand, barely concealed in her sleeve, was a metal flask.

Hanneman was standing next to Manuela. Unlike her, his attire was pristine. His beige coat was crisp, as if freshly ironed, and his monocle was polished, gleaming even in the scarce sunlight. However, despite his outfit's controlled appearance, his face was flushed red, his composure clearly shaken.

I turned to Seteth and said, "Are they always like this?"

The advisor's silence was telling.

Hanneman held up his hands and said, "In all my years teaching, never have I heard such disgraceful conduct! What kind of professor not only drinks during their introduction to their house, but invites her students to join her!"

Manuela huffed and crossed her arms. "You're not the one who has to deal with the Golden Deer! Oh sure, they seem nice enough. But that Claude… ugh!"

"And there you go, blaming your students! As a professor, that is unacceptable!"

Seteth walked forward and coughed. "Ahem."

Manuela jumped to her feet and said, "Yeah? Then what about you, Mister 'come to my room so I can examine your crest'?! If we're talking about unacceptable behavior, what about that, huh?!"

Hanneman took a step back. "Are you… Are you accusing me of soliciting illicit behavior? From my students, no less?!" His eyes narrowed and he said, "If you are willing to go so far, then what of your attire?! Such transparent attempts to-"

"AHEM!" Seteth coughed and then fixed a glare on the two professors.

On cue, both Hanneman and Manuela turned to look at Seteth. Facing his stony gaze, both of them wilted.

Hanneman coughed and then turned to look at me. "Professor Eisner! Good morning to you." He gave a sidelong glance to Manuela and said, "I do apologize for my colleague's sordid behavior."

Manuela rolled her eyes at Hanneman and then turned to me. "Morning, Professor. I hope your students weren't as… delightful as my own." That said, Manuela opened her flask and took a swig from it.

Surprisingly, I didn't catch the scent of alcohol. Instead, the strong and familiar scent of coffee drifted through the air.

I walked forward and pulled out a chair before sitting down across from them both. "It wasn't too bad. They were a bit rowdy from hunger, but a barbecue fixed that up."

"Ooh, I heard about that." Manuela waved her flask and said, "Little Dorothea told me all about your little cooking session." She smiled and said, "She also mentioned your first meeting."

I sighed. "That was an accident."

"Oh?" Seteth turned to look at me. He grabbed a chair from the tables as well and placed it a few paces to my left before taking a seat. "I would like to hear of this encounter between you and your student."

Again, I thanked the fact that Byleth had great composure. I shrugged and said, "It wasn't anything special. I bumped into her while thinking about what house to teach. She nearly fell to the ground, and I caught her. That's all."

Seteth frowned. "Do take caution in the future, Professor. While such actions were acceptable before, now that it has become public knowledge you will be instructing one of the three houses, it will be a mark against our reputation for you to be so careless."

Hanneman pulled over a chair as well, taking a seat across from me. "I am sure that young Byleth- ah, Professor Eisner, I mean." He shook his head and said, "Apologies. It would appear that I am still a bit flustered."

Manuela glanced at Hanneman and said, "Not the perfect professor you thought you were, huh?"

Hanneman pointedly ignored her and said, "Professor Eisner will do a wonderful job. And should you face any difficulties, do feel free to consult either myself or Manuela. We would be glad to give you aid."

Manuela nodded. "Hanneman is right for once." She turned to me and said, "Don't think you have to do everything by yourself." She smiled and said, "Especially if you're planning on having a barbecue like the other night."

"Right. I'll make sure to invite you next time."

"How lovely!" Manuela smiled. "I'll bring a cake."

Seteth cleared his throat and said, "If you are done with the pleasantries, I believe it would be best if we began our meeting."

"Yes," Hanneman said. "I suppose we have wasted enough time arguing amongst ourselves."

Manuela looked like she wanted to retort, but visibly held it back. Instead, she sighed and said, "Right. Let's get this meeting started."

"Very well," Seteth said. "Hanneman?"

The crest scholar nodded and adjusted his monocle. "For today, I plan to instruct the Blue Lions in battle tactics and formations. With the upcoming mock battle, I wish to lay the foundations before we begin proper training."

Manuela rolled her eyes. "As if your dusty old formations will have any effect. Book smarts don't translate to combat, you know?"

Hanneman frowned. "And what might you be planning for your class, Manuela?"

The songstress shrugged and said, "I thought it'd be a best to get to know each other before we start training. As much as I hate to admit it, Claude made a good point about building up rapport before we began practicing. Because of that, I think we'll sing a few choruses in the chapel before playing some games."

Hanneman huffed. "And you believe that will prepare your students for the mock battle?"

"You can't have coordination without rapport. That's what I learned at the Opera House. Of course, it's something that a scholar like you wouldn't know."

Seteth cut in before the argument could get any worse and said, "And what of you, Professor Eisner?"

I was caught off guard at being suddenly addressed. Wracking my mind for an answer, I decided to pull the inexperience card and scratched the back of my head. "I wasn't sure. For now, I thought I might take everyone out to the training grounds and get a feel for their fighting style. After that, I was going to see which students had complementary fighting styles before pairing them up and doing some spars."

Silence filled the council room.

For a moment, I thought that I said something wrong.

Eventually, Hanneman sighed and said, "Of course. One with practical experience would cut straight to the core of the issue."

Manuela nodded. "That sounds a lot better than my plan, Professor. I should've thought of that… I hope you don't mind me stealing it for later?"

"…No?"

"Good!" Manuela smiled and said, "I'll pay you back sometime. Maybe a cup of tea or dinner?"

Hanneman sighed. "Please do not burden our colleague with your advances, Manuela."

"What?" She blinked, feigning innocence. "I'm just being nice."

Before the conversation could derail too much, I said, "That's my plan for today… but what should I do for the rest of the week?"

"Hm?" Manuela frowned. "What do you mean?"

I shook my head. "Class has started, right? Doesn't that mean I need a lesson plan or something? I looked over the ones you two gave me, but-"

"Ah." Hanneman adjusted his monocle. "You need not concern yourself with that, Professor. Lessons proper shall not begin until next week."

Manuela nodded. "That's right. And if you're worried about that, we have the weekend to work things out. Hanneman and I will probably be busy planning our lessons anyway. Right, Hanneman?"

"Indeed," Hanneman said. "Perhaps we should make it a group session?"

Seteth stood up. "Excellent. Everything is settled then." He looked out of the window and said, "I would not wish to keep any of you from breakfast, so let us call it here. As a reminder, the mock battle is in a week and a half, at the end of the month. While it appears that your plans are settled, do keep it in mind. And with that, I bid you all good day."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Hm... I intended to jump to the sparring session this chapter, but it ended up like this instead. Not sure if the pace is dragging again or just enough...

Either way, there should finally be some action again next chapter as Byleth spars with his students.

I hope the chapter was somewhat enjoyable regardless, and I'll see you again tomorrow.


	15. Suspicion

**Author's Note:**

Didn't manage to get a chapter done yesterday. I had this half done, but pulled a muscle while running and was taking it easy. It's better today, but there might be shorter chapters for a bit starting tomorrow.

* * *

After the meeting, Manuela and Hanneman left for the dining hall while Seteth had to change roles and head back to manage the Knights of Seiros. As for myself, I decided to head back to my room and get things ready for the day.

The sun was starting to rise now, fully over the horizon. From the look of things, it seemed to be around seven in the morning. Still, without the bell at the top of the Goddess Tower to mark every hour, I couldn't be certain. From how there were starting to be a few students walking around though, seven o'clock seemed like a reasonable estimate.

Once again, I walked along the paved road cutting across the north side of the monastery. Maybe since it was starting to become a reasonable hour of the day, I got a few greetings on my way back. I gave a casual nod in return as always, but my thoughts were somewhere else.

The mock battle was in a week and a half. In that time, I had to make sure that everyone was battle ready… while also brushing up on tactics. Byleth was skilled in it, and I was fairly adept at strategy games myself, but knowing didn't translate to experience. I didn't know how things would go in a real battle and, while I was fine taking risks in regards to myself, when it involved others… Moreover, I didn't even know for sure yet if I should even win the mock battle.

On one hand, it was a good morale booster. Obviously, since a victory would cheer anyone up. On the other hand, since this was real life instead of the game, winning the battle wasn't world-ending. At least, it shouldn't be.

"Perhaps. But it will indeed be career ending." A soft female voice suddenly echoed from beside me.

I paused and took a small breath to calm myself. After that, I made sure to bring my hand up to my chin and pretend to be deep in thought, glancing at the side. But in truth-

…What are you doing here, Sothis?

-I was staring at my divine companion.

Sothis floated over to my side, moving as if she was seated on a throne. She huffed and crossed her arms before saying, "What? Did you wish to be rid of me so soon?"

I shook my head and continued walking.

It wasn't that I wanted to get rid of Sothis… I just thought that she could use some sleep. Yesterday involved some pretty heavy material, and if I was sleepy, I imagined that Sothis was too.

Sothis frowned. "If I wished to sleep, I would have stated as such. Did you forget our partnership already? Moreover, do you not recall that it is I who am responsible for the Divine Pulses and not you?"

Good point. Though… any plan on changing that soon?

Sothis scoffed. "And risk you spending them all on attempting assassinations just to test the consequences? No. We shall be having a very long discussion before you use any in the future."

But what if I get killed?

Sothis laughed. "In that case, perhaps it is inevitable. The thought of you dying considering your recklessness… I would wager that you have the devil's luck himself." She frowned. "Particularly with Fate's non-existent backlash." She shook her head and said, "In any case, may I presume that the meeting went well? …Mm. I see. So that is how it went."

Reading my mind again?

"It is faster, and I only gleaned the surface level memories. You have no need to concern yourself with any private thoughts becoming known to me."

Hm… are you sure you're a goddess and not a demon?

"Rude." Sothis shook her head and said, "Now, have you decided on your plan for the day?"

I rounded the corner back towards the western dormitories and then nodded.

For the most part, regardless of whether I wanted to win the mock battle or not, it was important to get a handle on every one of my student's capabilities. Unfortunately, I didn't have a handy roster menu to check their stats, so I'd have to do it the old fashioned way.

"Mm. That is a reasonable course of action. However, you are quite unprepared for one qualified to teach as a professor."

Well, being a professor in academia is a lot different from being a professor at an Officers Academy. Besides, the only people who needed to know combat, tactics, or governing back on Earth were people specializing in those fields.

"The same is true in this world as well. And if you are so concerned, why not peruse the library? Despite the advisor's tendency to dispose of questionable material, I believe that it should have enough to supplement your knowledge in regards to teaching your students."

Yes… but that requires interacting with Solon.

"Ah." Sothis frowned. "That would not be a favorable outcome… he is far too perceptive for his own good."

I nodded.

While I wasn't too worried about Solon at the moment, the odds of him realizing something was off with me increased every second I spent with him. The greatest trump I had in my arsenal was surprise, and that trump's value decreased the more Solon became cautious of me.

…Though, perhaps he would become less cautious if I actually played the part of a professor?

"That is a fair point," Sothis said. "However- Dodge to your left!"

I was confused about Sothis's warning, but did as she said. The moment that I did, a dark spike stabbed into the ground.

It was thin, barely visible beneath the sunlight. At the same time, when it landed, it blended in with my shadow before fading away, leaving not a single trace behind.

I frowned and turned towards the source of the attack. At the same time, I gathered mana in my left arm while forming sparks of flame in my right.

A cold sigh echoed from between the dormitories, and then a familiar tall figure stepped out from the shadows.

Hubert smiled and said, "Impressive, Professor. It appears that your position is well earned."

"And a good morning to you as well, Bert. Excited to start showing off your skills today, huh?"

I subtly dismissed the flames in my right hand, but made sure to keep my left arm charged.

Sothis frowned. "He… is supposed to be your student, is he not? Moreover, a supporter of that princess as well. Why is he attacking you?"

You think I know?

I glanced around the surroundings. Despite Hubert's attack, there was no one around to see it. Not only that, but any traces of his attack were long gone. An excellently planned move, as people would never believe a student would dare attack their professor in broad daylight within Garreg Mach.

Hubert frowned. "Hm. Not easily intimidated, even with this much." He shook his head and then stared into my eyes. "Your reputation as the Ashen Demon is well-deserved."

"Thank you for the compliment. Now, is there any particular reason you were so eager to greet me this morning?"

I stared at Hubert and kept a level tone. However, I made sure to pay attention to the flow of mana in the surroundings in case there were any hidden traps in play. Knowing him, if Hubert was serious about getting rid of me, I'd have to be extra careful.

Sothis shook her head. "There are no others in the immediate area. That one has planned this out quite well."

Hubert shrugged. "I merely wished to test the skills of one who dares to treat the future Adrestrian Emperor in such a flippant manner." He narrowed his eyes. "A man such as that must possess a certain… caliber of skill, lest he fall prey to an unfortunate accident."

"And you couldn't wait a few hours until we started class?"

Hubert smiled and casually put on a pair of white gloves. "Why, Professor. How else would I get an accurate gauge of your skill than under a true risk of death? It would be a pity if the skills you showed in a safe environment did not carry over to the field of battle. A risk like that, when Lady Edelgard's life is at stake, is not one that I am willing to take."

"…Right. And this isn't about you being mad at me teasing Edelgard?"

"Oh, do not misunderstand." Hubert shook his head and said, "I am livid. Livid that a sellsword as yourself became the professor to our esteemed house. That one with no credential to his name bar a reputation of ruthless slaughter not only was appointed to serve as the role model for Lady Edelgard, but that he dares to act so familiar with her. To treat her as a mere child."

…Well, this is a bit more intense than the support conversation I remembered.

Sothis sighed. "I told you that treating the princess in such a manner would come back to harm you."

It's fine.

Now, in regards to Hubert…

I stared at him and said, "That's a shame, Bert. But I don't feel like changing the way I act."

Hubert stared at me for a while and then nodded. "Yes… it is a pity. I would hate to deprive Lady Edelgard of her latest fascination."

I stared at Hubert.

His cold dark eyes stared back. There wasn't a hint of hesitation in them.

"Do not back down!" Sothis said. "For one such as he, the slightest sign of weakness will-"

Be my downfall. I know, Sothis.

Hubert's killing intent towards me was on a sliding scaled based solely on the ease of which it would be to dispose of me. That much was made clear in the game. While he might have been more lenient since that Byleth wasn't as forward with Edelgard as I was, the support conversations made it clear that he was serious about it.

…Well, his supports also pointed out that he liked putting on an act, but something told me that this particular time he definitely wasn't.

Judging from the way Hubert was evaluating my stance, my gaze, and my demeanor, he was just waiting. Waiting for an excuse to be rid of me.

Unfortunately for him, I wasn't going anywhere.

Eventually, Hubert shook his head. "Hmph. It seems that I will have to put up with you for at least a moment longer. It would be troublesome to both find a replacement for the mock battle under such a short notice as well as explain your disappearance."

"Wow. Didn't think you cared, Bert."

For a brief moment, dark sparks flickered in Hubert's left hand. However, he paused and then shook his head. "…How strange. To break my composure…" He looked at me. "It seems I underestimated you." His eyes narrowed. "I shall not do so again."

Saying those words, Hubert spun around to leave.

I waved after him and said, "Remember, class at noon! Don't make me have to get Edelgard to remind you!"

Hubert paused, visibly restraining himself. However, he took a deep breath and kept walking away.

When he left, Sothis let out a long sigh.

"Must you antagonize him so? For a moment, I believed that we may have had to use a pulse! What were you thinking?" She rounded on me and crossed her arms. "If it came to be known that you attacked your student, even in self-defense, what do you think will happen to you? As favored by Rhea as you are, I do not believe for a moment that you will continue to hold your job as a professor! What would we do then?"

Plan K.

Sothis blinked. "Plan… K?"

Yeah. Kill every last one of them, then get strong enough to make a wormhole back to the start of all this nonsense, time travel, and cut off the Agarthans at the root while saving all the kids from their tragic back stories.

"…Again, this is why I am restricting your pulses."

Probably for the best. Now, how much time do I have left?

"Hm? Approximately three hours? But why do you-" Sothis paused. "Do not tell me that you plan to do _another_ experiment."

I unlocked my room and walked inside, making sure to replace my precautions. After that, I sat down and took off my shirt.

Sothis floated after me. When she saw me shirtless, she paused and then said, "What are you doing?"

I held up my left arm and examined it. In the tense situation, I'd forgotten to release the mana, causing my nerves to overwork. In short, it felt like a thousand needles were stabbing into my left arm.

That was a problem.

Using my nerves as makeshift mana capacitors and converters was useful, but the fact that it was still a double-edged sword wasn't good. Not only that, but there was the fact that Hubert managed to get the jump on me.

I'd been relying on Byleth's instincts and Sothis's warnings, but I couldn't do that forever. Not only that, but it was clear that Byleth's instincts had a limit. If I wanted to improve them, I'd have to train. At least, normally.

I focused on the mana still trapped in the nerves of my left arm.

…Mana. It was energy. Lifeforce, arguably. Using it, magic could be used to heal or harm. But in the end, it was still just a form of energy, one that could be molded with one's thoughts and will. At least, judging from how I saw magic work.

"Byleth," Sothis said. "I do not like where this line of thinking is going."

…Nerves operated on electricity. Another form of energy. And it was the firing of those nerves that caused the body to move. To allow the brain to register the sensory input around.

"Byleth. Think about this. We can create a spell, a ward. Something external that will be less dangerous. There's no need to resort to-"

In that case, the limiting factor is the signal speed. But if mana can be molded with thoughts, and converted using my nerves, then-

"BYLETH!"

I clenched my left fist and then removed the blocks preventing the mana from connecting with the rest of my nerves and-

* * *

"NEVER. AGAIN."

I winced, squinting my eyes at the suddenly intense light streaming from the window. "Could you be a little quieter?"

"Hmph!" Sothis crossed her arms and said, "This is your punishment for attempting such a foolish idea!"

"It wasn't a bad idea, just-"

"Idiotic? Suicidal?"

"I just need to work out a few kinks. It'll work, trust me."

Sothis crossed her arms and said, "You burned through ten Divine Pulses. _TEN._ Not only did you deliberately ignore my warning and pleas, you went ahead with every attempt that I had no time to speak of them! What will we do if something happens now? The day is still far from over!"

I massaged my left arm and looked around the room.

To say that it was messy would be an understatement. Thankfully, it was better than the first few attempts of my latest experiments.

A few papers were scattered around. Notes written in code… I let out a sigh and started to clean up.

Due to the failed attempts at my brilliant idea-

"It is _not_ brilliant!"

-I still had three hours left before class started. Not only that, but I had a splitting migraine headache, born from a combination of Divine Pulses and… well, overclocking my brain into oblivion.

Funny thing. Mana isn't really supposed to mix with your central nervous system.

"Which you would have known had you listened to me!"

I placed the papers on my desk and muttered, "It can work. I can feel it."

I was just missing something. A piece of information, or some vital misunderstanding was causing it from being complete. When I had that, nothing would stop me.

"You…" Sothis let out a long sigh. "No. This is enough. My words will not deter you and anything I say will simply bounce off that thick skull of yours."

I shook my head. "I listen. Just… not this time. But anyway… I guess I should practice before class starts, huh?"

"Practice?"

I picked up my notes and then started walking towards the classroom.

Sothis floated beside me and said, "And what is it you plan to do now? Attempt to assassinate that tall and dark student of yours?"

Why do you always jump to thinking that I'm going to resort to violence?

"Because the only reason you do not is because I am restricting your Divine Pulses!"

…Good point.

I arrived at the courtyard without much trouble. The students were either sleeping in or scattered throughout the monastery, so there weren't any near the courtyard in front of the classrooms.

The Blue Lions and Golden Deer seemed to have already gone ahead with their lessons, since the classrooms were empty. The Black Eagles classroom should have been as well, but when I walked inside, I noticed that I wasn't the only one who arrived early.

"Good morning, Professor." Edelgard smiled and waved at me from her seat at the front row.

Beside Edelgard, Hubert smiled, a cold expression cutting his stony face, and said, "Yes. Good morning, Professor."

…That was fast. It seemed like Edelgard had no idea of what Hubert did earlier though.

I walked over to the podium and dropped my notes on it. After that, I turned to my two students and said, "What are you two doing here? Didn't I say noon?"

Sothis floated over to sit on the podium and shook her head. "No. You recall correctly." She glanced at Edelgard and Hubert and said, "It would just appear that your students are eager about your class. The princess because it is you, of course, while the dark one presumably seeks to catch you off guard."

Sly of Hubert. Showing his face again so soon after trying to kill me. An ordinary person would definitely be flustered. Heck, I would be too… if not for the migraine making it hard to just focus. Still, it was getting better. That walking and fresh air on the way here helped.

Edelgard shook her head. "No. I just thought it would be nice to have some quiet time before class began."

I raised an eyebrow. "Three hours worth?"

Hubert nodded and said, "The role of an Emperor requires one to be accustomed to long stretches of silence. This was only an exercise in improving that quality."

"…Right."

Judging from the somewhat resigned look on Edelgard's face, it looked like one of the things she put up with from Hubert. A reasonable task that she endured because she thought it would help, but would rather not do.

"Well, I wasn't expecting anyone to be here so early, so you caught me a bit unprepared." I hummed, buying time while I frantically wracked my mind for a solution to this sudden event.

Think. What did teachers do when they ran out of things to teach…? Ah, right.

"Since you're early, why don't you ask some questions? We haven't started lessons yet, but is there anything you're concerned about or want to know?"

"My." Sothis said. "You are quite adept at improvising on the spot. Are you certain that you were not a professional actor?"

Hush, you.

Hubert smiled. "Are you certain you are prepared for this, Professor?"

Edelgard frowned. "What do you mean, Hubert? It isn't like there would be much to ask…"

"In that case, allow me the first question, Lady Edelgard." Hubert turned to look at me and said, "From where do you hail, Professor?" He kept his smile, but his eyes were cold.

Easy question. I shrugged and said, "My father never told me where, but, I'd assume I'm from the Adrestrian Empire."

Edelgard's eyes lit up and she said, "Is that so?" She shook her head. "No, of course. One as skilled as yourself could only come from the Empire."

"I would not presume one's skill based on homeland, Lady Edelgard," Hubert said. "However, that is quite the coincidence…" He frowned, even more suspicion in his eyes.

I shrugged. "Anyway…" I made a show of glancing outside to look at the time. "Any other questions? If not, I think I'll be working on my lesson plans for the day."

Pull the old substitute teacher act. Free day for everyone… until the others arrived, at least.

"I have one, Professor." Edelgard looked at me and tilted her head. "What brought you to Remire village the day we met? From what I have gathered from Captain Jeralt, you and your father's troop moved around quite often."

Hm? She talked to my dad?

For a second, I thought about teasing her a bit. Then I remembered Hubert's current foul mood and decided against it. Instead, I said, "Remire village has done a lot for us, and we use it as a base. It was mostly coincidence."

"Mostly?" Hubert's sharp eyes locked on to me. "That implies there is a portion done by design."

A slip up. That was a problem I had with using imprecise language. Still, it should be salvageable… "There was. We had planned to go on a mission to the Kingdom that day, and so decided to drop by the village before setting off. We could have just gone ahead, but I wanted to visit it beforehand."

…Hm? _I_ wanted to visit it? That wasn't me…

"Interesting. And… the Kingdom, was it? In that case, I am surprised that you found yourself leading the Black Eagles rather than the Blue Lions."

"Hubert." Edelgard frowned. "Is there a reason you are questioning our professor so stringently?"

He shook his head. "Merely curious. Are you not, Lady Edelgard?" He looked to me and said, "A man with the opportunity to teach and therefore greatly influence the future leaders of Fodlan. And yet he chose the Black Eagles, home to the future emperor. Is it ambition? Or…?"

Edelgard sighed. "Ignore Hubert, Professor. He's just being cautious. Though…" She looked at me and said, "I am curious as well. What did make you choose the Black Eagles?"

I paused for a moment and stared at Edelgard, pointedly ignoring the amused smirk Sothis was sending me from beside me.

"Would you believe me if I said black and red were my favorite colors?"


	16. Teaching

Thankfully, the rest of the questions from Hubert and Edelgard weren't too bad. After answering the hard questions like why I wanted to teach them, it seemed like they were satisfied with just asking questions about myself. Well, Edelgard at least. Hubert seemed to just take the route of quietly observing me.

There was a casual back and forth for a while until someone entered the room.

"A good morning to you, Professor." Ferdinand waved at me and said, "I apologize for arriving early, but I thought it best for a noble as myself to set an example for-" He paused when he noticed Edelgard and Hubert already sitting there. "…My peers," Ferdinand finished.

Hubert smirked. "Quite the example you set. Of course, Lady Edelgard set an even greater example."

"So it would appear." Ferdinand stared at Edelgard and said, "I believed arriving two hours earlier would be enough, but it would seem that you bested me yet again, Edelgard."

The princess sighed and said, "Must everything be a competition with you, Ferdinand?"

"A competition?" Ferdinand shook his head. "This is no competition, but a matter of principle. How am I suited to guide you as a prime minister when I allow you to lead the path? I must walk at least beside you, if not in front."

"Hmph." Hubert leaned forward and laced his fingers together. "You, Ferdinand? Walking in Lady Edelgard's footsteps is honorable enough. To do otherwise… perhaps the apple does not fall far from the tree?"

Ferdinand's eyes narrowed. "I should return those words to yourself, Hubert. If I recall correctly, it was Marquis Vestra that caused Emperor Ionius to-"

"Enough!" Edelgard narrowed her eyes and said, "Both of you. Did you forget where we are?"

"Indeed." Hubert nodded. "It would appear that I have forgotten myself. Apologies, Lady Edelgard. And you as well, Professor."

Ferdinand let out a sigh. "Yes… to think that a noble as I showed such an unsightly face… I apologize Professor. And to you as well, Edelgard. Truly, I did not mean to begin the morning in this manner."

With there finally being a lull in the conversation, I managed to cut in and say, "That's fine. We're all a bit on edge today. First proper class and all."

Though, I didn't expect Ferdinand and Hubert to be at each other's throats already. Guess I really got under Bert's skin to make him act so harshly in front of his revered Lady Edelgard, huh?

I waited for a response from Sothis and then remembered that she was asleep.

Well, I guess I'll just keep my witty remarks to myself then.

Ferdinand shook his head and took a seat on the right side of Edelgard.

Hubert looked almost ready to get out of his seat, but he managed to calm himself down.

Edelgard herself didn't mind it, as if she was expecting Ferdinand to sit there.

Ferdinand nodded and said, "Yes. I suppose I have been a bit irritated recently as well. But far be it for me to interrupt your morning, Professor." He looked around and said, "May I ask what you are doing so early here today? Is there anything that I might offer to help you?"

I shook my head and said, "Not really- wait."

There was still time before everyone got here. Since there was…

"Do you all have writing utensils with you?"

"What do you take us for, children?" Hubert shook his head. "Of course we do." To emphasize his words, he pulled out a pen from his pocket.

It was one of those fancy fountain looking pens with a metal tip. It was also slightly rusted at the end, with a slight tint of red. The effect was artistic, reminiscent of rose-gold. I got the feeling that it wasn't natural though.

After that, he pulled out a small bottle of ink.

Ferdinand nodded and said, "I do indeed have a writing utensil with me, Professor." Like Hubert, he pulled out a fountain pen and a bottle of ink. His pen was shiny and gold, with his name etched out along its side. He looked to me and said, "It would not do for a noble to come unprepared to the first proper day of class, would it?"

As for Edelgard… when I met her gaze, I noticed her slightly flush.

"Ah… forgive me, Professor. I was under the impression that today would be a practical lesson."

Ferdinand shook his head. "Edelgard, how could you? A noble must be prepared for every occasion. As the future emperor, this is even more true for yourself." He frowned. "Moreover, for what reason did you arrive early if you were not prepared?"

Hubert narrowed his eyes and said, "Know your place, Ferdinand. It is not your role to question the future emperor."

"I beg to differ! As the heir to the Aegir household and future prime minister, it is completely my place to criticize Edelgard. If not, then she may be misguided by one such as yourself who does nothing but mindlessly follows!"

Hubert narrowed his eyes and said, "To think that Lady Edelgard may be misguided is folly in itself and strays towards sedition."

Before the conversation could get any more heated, and to save Edelgard who was trapped in the middle, I walked over and said, "Relax. It's not that serious. Here, Delly. I thought something like this might happen so I brought a spare."

Not really. I only brought a single quill and bottle of ink, but she didn't need to know that. I had a pencil to spare anyway, so it didn't matter too much.

I set them down on the table in front of Edelgard when I noticed that it was quiet. Eerily quiet.

Confused, I looked up to see three gazes fixed on me, each with differing emotions.

Hubert was livid, his dark eyes narrowed and flashing with cold light.

Ferdinand looked taken aback, but also somewhat amused.

As for Edelgard… her face was flushed red, but she also looked angry.

Ah. Right.

Still, couldn't apologize now. That'd be a sign of weakness… Hey, Sothis. You wouldn't mind helping me take this one back, would you?

…Oh yeah. She was asleep. Well then…

I raised an eyebrow and stared at the three. "Is something wrong?" I looked to Hubert and said, "Was it something I said, Bert?"

That time, Ferdinand wasn't able to hide his amusement. A smirk crossed his face and then he shook his head. "N-Nothing is wrong, Professor."

I looked to him and nodded. "Thanks, Ferd."

"Ferd?!" Ferdinand frowned and said, "I apologize Professor, but to shorten my esteemed name as anything less than Ferdinand von Aegir is-"

"-Quite fitting considering how short-sighted you are." Hubert cut in and smiled.

Edelgard pinched the bridge of her nose and sent me a glare while the two weren't looking. She didn't say anything, maybe because it was beneath her, or would seem to be beneath her, but I could clearly read the displeasure on her face. Though, it wasn't outright hostility, so that was a plus.

I'd have to remember to stop by later and give her apology cookies.

"Anyway," I spoke up again before the conversation could devolve into outright hostility. "Why don't you all write down your goals and specialties? It'll help me out in planning your personal agendas in the future."

I dug around in my pile of notes for some blank paper and then passed it out to each of my students.

Ferdinand took the paper from me and nodded. "I see!" He looked up at me and said, "So you plan to give each of us specialized instruction as well?"

"Of course. Even you, Bert."

Hubert's eyebrow twitched.

Ferdinand started to smile, but quickly smoothed it and said, "How noble. Indeed, it is a pity that you have chosen a role as a Professor. Do you not agree, Edelgard?"

"Hm?" Edelgard was caught off guard, but she quickly nodded and said, "Yes. To have someone as the professor in the Empire would be a great boon."

I shrugged and went back to my podium. Sothis was still asleep, a pretty deep one at that. Maybe I should hold back on my Divine Pulse spamming… she didn't show it earlier, but it must have tired her out.

Hm. Maybe I should start looking into how the Divine Pulse actually works since my latest research project is at a standstill. It probably has something to do with the Crest of Flames, so…

I picked up a piece of paper and pulled out my pencil to write out some quick notes.

Tactics books, Crest research materials, reason magic, faith magic, extra paper…

* * *

While my trio of students set about laying out their future plans, at least in terms of classes, the other Black Eagles eventually came filtering in. Maybe it was something in the air, but none of them said anything more than a greeting before taking a seat.

Like with Edelgard and her two seatmates, I assigned them all the task of writing down their goals and specialties.

After everyone had arrived… or rather, after Linhardt finally decided to walk inside the classroom, still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, I made everyone hand in their papers and then take their seats.

When they did, I shuffled their papers into my notes and glanced around the room.

Dorothea looked expectant, as if waiting on my every word.

Bernadetta was doing her best to hide behind a book.

Petra stood straight, rapt with attention.

Caspar bobbed his leg up and down, clearly itching to get going.

Linhardt… was already falling asleep. Hm… I should probably talk to him about that at some point. Maybe invest in some coffee or notes to keep him interested.

Good ol' Bert was giving me the death glare as usual.

Ferdinand was doing his best not to show that he was amused at Hubert's displeasure…

And Edelgard was waiting, quietly but patiently.

Seeing that everyone was paying attention… well, mostly everyone, I nodded and walked back to my podium.

Sothis sensed my movement and yawned. The goddess rubbed her eyes and stretched before sitting up. She glanced around, noting all of the Black Eagles, and said, "Is it time yet?"

It's time.

"Alright class. As you might know, the mock battle is a week and a half away. I'll be honest with you. I doubt that's enough time to learn enough battle formation and tactics to be combat ready."

Hubert smiled. "You underestimate us, Professor."

Caspar hopped to his seat and said, "Yeah! I'm not gonna lose anytime soon!"

Linhardt sighed and mumbled, "Sit down, Caspar."

Dorothea nodded and said, "Lin's right, Caspar. Sit down and let our dear Professor finish talking." She looked at me and said, "After all… I don't think he plans on losing. Do you, Professor?"

"Thank you, Dorothea. And no, I don't." I walked over to the white board and began writing.

"Despite the fact that there's little time, that also plays to our advantage."

I wrote out 'weaknesses' and sketched out a Venn-Diagram, with Blue Lions on the left circle and Golden Deer on the right.

In the intersection, I started writing. "To begin with, both of the other houses have as much time as we do. In other words, little time."

I wrote that down and said, "Even if the Blue Lions have Professor Hanneman with his theoretical knowledge of warfare and the Golden Deer have Claude with his scheming mind, there will be limited benefits due to the short time frame."

Edelgard frowned and said, "Do you not think that you are giving the other houses little credit?"

I shook my head. "If anything, I'm giving them too much credit." I moved over to the Blue Lions and said, "The key flaw in the Blue Lions is their chivalry. Even if Professor Hanneman devises cunning tactics, they will be reluctant to follow. There hasn't been enough time to build rapport or coordination between them."

I wrote down 'chivalry' in the Blue Lions and then moved on to the Golden Deer. "The Golden Deer have a similar problem. Due to Claude's charisma and cunning, I have no doubt that he'll be scheming. They'll likely make full use of the terrain and battle formations to pick us off one by one. That, coupled with Professor Manuela's specialty in Faith magic means that we will be facing a battle of attrition. However, the flaw in this is that the Golden Deer students themselves are a haphazard group, coming from varied backgrounds and disparate allegiances."

I wrote down 'coordination' in the Golden Deer circle.

Hubert nodded. "Excellent analysis, Professor. However, what makes you certain that the Golden Deer will move as you say?"

"Claude." I wrote down his name in the Golden Deer circle and said, "As you may know, I haven't been involved in much of Fodlan's political scene, so I don't know too much about the dynamics. But I do know a bit, and it seems that Claude showed up out of nowhere with his Crest, right?"

"Oh yeah!" Caspar nodded. "I heard about that. I remember my dad saying that there was a big fuss about it in the Alliance."

"Right. I'm assuming that there is split sentiment."

Hubert nodded. "Indeed there is." He tilted his head and said, "You are surprisingly keen for one who knew nothing of the Church of Seiros before you arrived, Professor."

"Even a mercenary like me can see the writing on the wall."

Edelgard shook her head. "You underestimate yourself, Professor." She stared at the Venn-Diagram and said, "Such a concise explanation… perhaps you were destined to become a Professor."

"Hm?"

Sothis sighed. "Have you forgotten again? Despite the similarities, the historical background of Fodlan and your world differs."

And that has to do with this, how?

"The diagram you have drawn. A… Venn-Diagram, is it?"

Yes?

"Such a thing has not been created in this world."

…But it's so obvious!

"To you, perhaps. However, you must recall the influence of magic in this world as well as the lack of intercommunication between fields of study. It is commonplace to use such a diagram in your world because it has become standardized over time. Yet, it originated in the field of mathematics, did it not?"

That's… right. Huh. Can you really read that much into my memories? Even I didn't remember that…

"The human mind is surprisingly stable regarding recorded memories. But pay attention! You are taking too long to act!"

"Professor?" Edelgard called out.

I shook my head and said, "Sorry. Lost in thought for a moment."

Dorothea laughed. "That makes sense. It must be surprising to find that you're skilled in something completely new."

Petra nodded. "I am agreeing with Edelgard. You are quite good in explaining, Professor. It is clearly that- ah." She shook her head and said, "It is clear that you are having talent in teaching!"

"Well, anyone could do the same."

Me, good at teaching? This was just the basics… and I didn't even know if my analysis was right. I bet that any person who played the game could probably come up with the same thing, if not better.

Sothis nodded. "Perhaps that is true… but do not sell yourself too short, Byleth. After all, most are not so fearless as to diverge so readily from the known path as you are."

Hm? Ah, well… I guess I have been a bit reckless. Still, it isn't like things will spiral _that_ out of control, will they?

"Anyway, back to what I was saying." I turned back to the board and said, "Claude. He's both what holds the Golden Deer together and what breaks it apart. In short, we need to be cautious, but not overly so."

I stepped back and looked at the board. Chivalry for Blue Lions, lack of time for both, then coordination and Claude for the Golden Deer. Not many weaknesses, but enough to work with.

Edelgard stared at the board for a moment and then said, "This is good and all, Professor. However… you have not said what it is you plan on teaching us."

Hubert nodded. "Lady Edelgard is correct. What use is knowing the weakness of our opponents when we lack a plan ourselves?"

"And that's where you're wrong." I turned around and looked at the Black Eagles. All of them were young, impressionable. Far from the war-torn veterans that would come five years down the line. Far from being combat ready at all… except for probably Edelgard and Hubert.

I sighed. "To be honest, I'm not a good tactician. Neither am I that great a professor."

Why I was the one to merge with Byleth, I might never know. The fact that I didn't recall my name or history didn't help either. But I did know that I was far from perfect. If you took the entire population that played Fire Emblem Three Houses and put anyone else in my shoes, nine times out of ten they probably would have done a better job.

However, even if that was true… even if I was the worst person ever for the job, there was one thing that I knew I could help with the most.

"Despite that, I possess a very particular set of skills. Skills that will allow us to win even despite lacking tactics or strategies."

Hubert raised an eyebrow. "And those skills are?"

I smiled. "It's time for another field trip."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Well, the plan was to get into sparring today, but Hubert and Ferdinand just couldn't keep away from each other's throats. After fighting for a while, I decided to leave it just as it was. :shrug:

Hope it's enjoyable regardless.

Still recovering from my strained muscle. It's no longer a throbbing pain, at least, so there's that.

Anyway, thanks for reading as always. I'll see you tomorrow... hopefully earlier than this.


	17. Doubting

Caspar cracked his neck and rolled his right shoulder. "You sure you're up for this, Professor? I mean, not to doubt your skills or anything, but you don't seem _that_ strong."

I held my wooden training sword loose to my right side while I held out my left arm, slightly raised. "Confident, are we?"

Caspar picked up his wooden training axe from the ground and said, "Gotta be, don't I? You lose when you think you lose."

I stared at him, quickly taking stock of my surroundings.

We had moved over to the training grounds, the one you visit in the game near the western dormitories. Apparently, there was another one outside the monastery where we would be having the mock battle, but that was being used by the Knights of Seiros for the time being.

In any case, my objective was clear.

I knew my weaknesses. I was short-sighted, average at best at tactics, and a lousy fake professor who only seemed impressive because of the baseline education he had.

However, I also knew my strengths. And among those, whether born because of a miracle or otherwise, was my ability to read the flow of battle and find the flaws in a person's fighting.

I'd noticed it before, briefly when I was fighting those bandits. However, now that I stood before Caspar, I could see that I hadn't been imagining things.

His stance was too wide. The grip he used to hold his axe was too firm, rigid. It would be good for powerful slashes, but too inflexible to adjust in the midst of combat.

His left side, open. His right foot, a bit too forward.

Half of what I was seeing was born from Byleth's own insight. His inherent talent and intuition that I had hijacked when I took over his body. But the other half… hypotheses that I'd noted from playing games, watching videos, taking a few Taekwondo lessons and general sparring. All of that miscellaneous knowledge melded together with Byleth's abilities to form what I had now.

Linhardt yawned from somewhere off to the side. As the resident healer, he was standing at ready to intervene if anything went wrong. Beside him, Edelgard stood as the referee.

The princess looked at both me and Caspar and said, "Are you two ready?"

Caspar grinned and brushed his nose with his left hand. "Ready when you are, Professor!"

I nodded. "I'm ready."

Edelgard glanced at us and then nodded. "We will begin the spar on three. One… two… three!"

Caspar kicked off the ground, pouncing towards me. "Hope you're ready!"

I could see it. The attack was the same he tried with Linhardt, only using an axe. When he reached striking distance, he'd stomp and pivot, using the momentum to send a heavy blow.

But-

"Predictable!"

-It wasn't enough.

I brought my sword up to parry.

Caspar's attack was strong, but it was rigid. Too firm.

Blocking it was difficult, but deflecting it was simple.

Caspar stomped, like I predicted, and then pivoted on his left foot. He twisted his waist and then swung his axe towards my left side.

I swept my sword up and knocked it wide.

"Tch!" Still, Caspar wasn't deterred. Before I could step in to counter, he had taken a step back out of range.

I straightened my stance once again and frowned. "Your reflexes are pretty good, Caspar."

The blue-haired young man nodded. "And you're not bad yourself, Professor. Still, I'm not losing!"

Did he realize it, or was he just testing the waters? The openings I noticed vanished. His stance closed, his grip shifted, and his body became loose. Almost as if he had improved in an instant.

My frown deepened.

"Oh my." Sothis called out from the side. "Be careful, Byleth! You will regret it if you underestimate this student of yours!"

Regret it, huh?

Seeing Caspar change his stance, I shifted mine as well. I took a step back and raised my sword up to keep a guard-

"Hah!"

My eyes widened. Caspar instantly closed the gap between us and smashed down with his axe.

Again, I brought my sword up to parry, but immediately after I had to step back.

Caspar's axe smashed against my training sword with incredible force. Rather than wood, it felt like a slab of iron had struck my sword, even through the enhancements I'd done recently to my body.

Caspar wasn't finished there though. Taking advantage of the opening, he let go of his axe and then stepped forward. His right fist surged and he shouted, "I'll send you flying!"

My eyes scanned Caspar's stance. But there wasn't an opening. The only flaw I could see was that it would leave him open for a counterattack immediately after it finished. But the attack was so swift and powerful there was no need for a follow up.

"Tch!"

There was no time to think. My sword was too far to bring back and my stance was off-balance. Trying to do a proper sword attack from this was impossible.

But then, it wasn't impossible to counter. Nor was it to dodge.

_Stay focused._

Time seemed to crawl to a halt. My sword was knocked to my right side. My torso was open, and my left hand was behind me, unable to move in time to grab or parry. My right leg was bearing all of my weight and my left was almost in the air.

In short, I was on the verge of falling over. Caspar's words weren't a prediction but a proclamation. The moment his fist struck my body, I would indeed be sent flying. My balance was already broken, and the slightest bit would send me airborne.

"Byleth!" Sothis called out. A hint of anxiety was in her voice.

Strange. Why would she be worried?

But I didn't have the time to think about that.

Memories and techniques flitted through my mind. Unfortunately, Byleth didn't have a counter for this. His instincts and his eyes told me that there should be one, that there was a way out of this. But if there was, it wasn't in his memories.

Then… it was up to me.

The slowed time helped. Caspar's fist approached, seemingly unstoppable.

My left arm itched, but I ignored it.

My sword was useless. My stance was broken, and I was on the verge of falling down. I couldn't dodge left or right. I couldn't jump… but I could duck.

The weight was on my right foot, and both my hands were askew.

Swordplay was out of the question.

Then… abandon it.

A solution.

My left arm tingled, and I felt something click into place.

A half-remembered memory from a game I'd played a long time ago. A brief flash of something I'd seen just the other day.

I let go of my sword.

Time slowly sped up and my body was falling backwards.

I didn't stop it.

Caspar approached, his fist aimed at my chest.

I fell.

My body leaned back with the force of Caspar's blow. Since it was impossible to restore my stance, I threw it completely away along with my sword.

Caspar's eyes widened, realizing that his attack struck lighter than he anticipated. He started to move back.

Too slow.

I drew my right arm back and shifted and pulled in my left arm, moving with the force of the blow. My waist turned and I was sent flying. However, I was the one directing my trajectory.

My left leg spun and lashed out towards Caspar's head, cutting around in a circle.

Caspar brought his arms to block, crossing them over his head.

My leg crashed against his arms, staggering him from the force of the blow.

Gravity sent me falling the rest of the way, putting my entire weight against Caspar's arms.

But his reflexes weren't for show. The moment he felt me come to a stop, he pushed off, sending me flying back.

I flew through the air, but in a controlled flip before landing on the ground.

Caspar lowered his fists, taking a boxer stance. His head was slightly tucked in and he led with his left foot. Any sign of taking me lightly had gone, and his blue eyes were narrowed in focus. "You're good, Professor. Really good."

It was weird. This entire spar was weird. Caspar shouldn't be that skilled… this skilled.

My left arm burned, but I had to focus. "And you are too. Not many openings, good reflexes, and decent combat awareness."

Caspar's techniques were on point. His guard, his punches, his movement. At the least, they were much better than they showed it to be in the game, where someone fast enough could realistically close in and take him out.

Still…

"But it's not good enough."

I mimicked Caspar's stance.

Blow by blow, attack by attack, Caspar was already good to go. At least, I couldn't see any way to improve there. In single exchanges, the only way that Caspar could lose would be missing. But that was the problem.

Linhardt had already showcased it the other day. Caspar was weak to evasive fighting styles.

So… I had to fix that.

"Allow me to demonstrate."

A technique half-based in reality and exaggerated in fiction. One developed by a featherweight professional boxer trying to answer 'What does it mean to be strong?'

…I couldn't do it. But Byleth could.

Caspar stared at me. Seeing that I wasn't moving, he advanced and threw a jab.

The moment he did, I lowered my stance.

Weave left, weave right. A figure eight formed by the waist.

Caspar's jab missed. At the same time, his eyes widened, a glimmer of realization and awe. "That's-"

Three hooks, left, right, and left, striking at blind spots.

Caspar flew through the air before landing on the ground, knocked unconscious. However, his expression showed that he was satisfied with result.

I straightened and brushed myself off before turning to the rest of my students.

It was quiet. Almost eerily so.

Sothis was the first to break it. She sighed and stared at me, her expression unreadable. After a few seconds though, she shook her head and smiled. "It looks like you've shocked your precious students into silence."

Glancing around, it looked like I did.

Bernadetta's eyes were wide open, but it looked like she had fainted from sheer shock.

Ferdinand blinked and kept shaking his head, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Petra looked excited, and she reached for the training sword at her side.

Linhardt was surprisingly focused, giving me an odd look.

Dorothea was awestruck, her eyes almost glittering.

As for Edelgard and Hubert… the former stared at me with confusion while the latter seemed even more cautious than ever.

Seeing as everyone was stunned, I called out to Linhardt and said, "Check on Caspar, will you? He should be fine, but I don't want to risk him having a concussion."

My words broke the spell that froze everyone.

Linhardt nodded and moved over to check on Caspar, faint white light glowing over his hands as he held them over Caspar's wounds.

After that, I picked up my training sword and winced.

It seemed like even though Byleth was trained, his body wasn't suited for that sort of fighting. At least, not without more practice.

"Of course not! Even in your world, that technique is not one to be used lightly!" Sothis scolded me and then huffed, crossing her arms and sitting in the air. "Teaching your students is one thing, but injuring yourself while doing so is-"

What healing magic is for.

Sothis sighed and shook her head. "Well, it looks like your other students are eager now, so you had better prepare for a long day."

Edelgard stepped forward and surveyed me with a frown. "…It would appear that you held back more than I anticipated, Professor." She looked at the sword in my hand and said, "Tell me, is your specialty truly not in the blade?"

"Hm?" I shook my head. "No. I'm best at using a sword. But why?"

Hubert gave me a scrutinizing glare. "I believe Lady Edelgard is questioning your ability. Or rather, your disproportionate expertise."

Petra nodded and said, "Yes! Professor, you are having much skill! Even in Brigid, I am never seeing- ah." She shook her head and said, "I have never seen such movements!"

"You're giving me too much praise." After all, I was just stealing from other people's works. Plagiarism at its core.

"Perhaps," Hubert said. "Or perhaps we have all underestimated you." Hubert walked over to the rack of training weapons and picked up a training sword. He walked back to me and said, "Care to give me some personal pointers, Professor?"

"That's the plan for the day. Though, does someone like you really need lessons from me, Bert?"

Hubert gave a cold smile. "Trying to get under my skin again, I see. Yes, I suppose I do have a few things to learn from you after all. Such as your composure. Now, let's see how long it lasts!"

With those words, Hubert charged. Dark mana gathered in his left hand, while the sword in his right cut towards my neck. However, despite being a training sword, there was a faint coat of mana around it.

I didn't recognize it, but Byleth did. 'Hexblade', a strike made by gathering magic into one's sword.

A combat art that Hubert shouldn't have.

Still… "Have it your way!" I blocked his sword and said, "Let the lesson begin!"

* * *

The spars continued until late in the evening. At first, I ran down the list and sparred with everyone individually, getting a feel for their fighting styles and pulling out a corresponding technique or maneuver from what I remembered to help them. Anime, fiction, games… the catalogue of techniques I had seen or half-remembered were created using Byleth's intuition and demonstrated to my students.

It wasn't hard. After a single glimpse or experiencing them firsthand, my students were able to either make some progress, or in Edelgard's case with Aether, completely replicate it.

After that, we did pairs… or two of them versus me, and then a final melee with everyone against me.

The result of that…

I stared at everyone collapsed on the ground and frowned. "Huh. I thought I'd be more tired out than this."

Caspar groaned and said, "Screw you too, Professor!"

Linhardt clutched his head, leaning against a pillar and said, "For once, Caspar, I agree with you. Argh… I'm going to need to sleep a whole day after this."

Bernadetta had fainted while standing up, her eyes rolled back in her head. Dorothea was standing beside her and waving her hands. "Bernie? Come on, you can't stand there like that!"

Ferdinand let out a heavy sigh and pushed himself off the ground. "I must admit, Professor. Your skill is unparalleled." He looked at me and said, "If there were any doubts of your qualification in my mind, be assured that they have long been settled."

Hubert pushed himself off the ground as well and said, "Yes… as loathe as I am to admit it, you possess the skills suited to instruct us. However…" He stared at me and said, "Tell me, Professor. Have you been restraining yourself this entire time?"

Edelgard got up as well and frowned. "Yes. Do tell, my Professor." She stared at me, her eyes completely focused, a far cry from her usual soft gaze. "How are you this skilled? A mere mercenary should not… even the son of the esteemed Blade Breaker could not be this skilled." She shook her head and said, "Faith, Reason, sword, axe, lance, unarmed… and then the understanding and intelligence to impart those skills upon us." Her eyes narrowed. "Who… no, what are you?"

I froze.

Who am I? No, _what_ am I?

It was a good question.

I clenched my left fist, and stared at my body.

It was weird. Despite everything I had done, I was fine. Not only that, but the prickling in my left arm had faded, replaced with just a low warmth. And… none of this made any sense.

Byleth wasn't that skilled. I wasn't either. Even if I knew the principles, and that was a longshot if ever, and Byleth had the instincts, I… _we_ shouldn't have improved this quickly. Both myself and the Black Eagles.

From just fighting, I could tell.

Bernadetta could use Hunter's Volley, Dorothea had Agnea's Arrows, Ferdinand had Swift Strikes… and those were only the Combat Arts I recognized from using them in the game.

Fighting with Caspar should have been the first sign. He was far too skilled in unarmed combat. And then there was Linhardt who was great at that despite being his flaw in the game…

Sothis. What's going on?

The green-haired goddess had been floating quietly on the side for a while now. When I asked my question, she let out a long sigh. "It would appear that your actions are beginning to catch up to you."

Hm?

"I told you, did I not?" Sothis floated over. As she did, I noticed that everything had frozen, taking on a gray hue. "Fate is not so easily diverted. When it is, the backlash will be as potent as what had changed, if not more so to compensate." She turned around to stare at the Black Eagles and said, "Still, I did not expect it to be like this. Could it be that you… no, that 'Byleth' had done something as well? For your students to possess skills and techniques rivalling those of experienced veterans… Hm."

I frowned. …Were we in new game plus?

"New game plus…" Sothis muttered. "I suppose if we were to draw an analogy to that game of yours, yes. It would appear that we are in something similar. And that 'Byleth' had used his renown to restore both the bonds and abilities of his students. And yet… and yet this is different. Distorted. The changes here are unnatural and the flow of time is disturbed… Truly, this is a maddening situation." She shook her head and said, "Regardless, you must choose your words carefully." She looked back at Edelgard and said, "I have stalled time to give you the opportunity to contemplate your words and future actions. But this will not last forever and your decision will greatly affect the rest of your time here... Unless you would like to use one of the remaining pulses? If there were ever a time I would deign it necessary, this would be it."

I stared at Edelgard and her violet eyes, filled with suspicion.

I looked at Sothis and her silent gaze.

Seeing that, I-

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Slowly making our way back to the plot and we see a bit more of the side-effects from messing with time.

Not much to say other than that, I think? Thanks as always for reading and your input. I hope the chapter was enjoyable and I'll see you tomorrow.

P.S: Hope the cliffhanger isn't too bad.


	18. Trusting

**Author's Notes:**

It seems like FFN messed up yet again saying that my last update was the 18th when I uploaded yesterday as well. This is a friendly reminder to read chapters 16 and 17 if you haven't already before this, in case you just got the latest update.

* * *

_CRACK._

Time spun backwards, and the scenes played out yet again. I tried to change it, but-

Edelgard stared at me, shock and disbelief in her eyes. At the same time, there was a glimmer of realization. "Professor, you are-"

_CRACK._

Time spun backwards, and the scenes played out yet again. This time for sure, if I just held back-

Hubert laughed, cold and filled with scorn, as blood spilled out from his chest. "I knew it. You… you are just like _them_. Hiding a second self beneath-"

_CRACK._

Time spun backwards, and the scenes played out yet again. But this time…

I stared into my glass of water, observing my reflection. Byleth's face… my face stared back. As emotionless as ever, but somehow more dour. More worn.

"What's wrong, kid? Your old man not interesting enough for you?" A voice called out to me. Warm and gruff.

I shook my head. "Sorry, Dad. Just a lot on my mind." After saying that, I looked up.

An unfamiliar scenery, reminiscent of a family diner from Earth and yet different. There were wooden tables and chairs laid out, along with booths placed against wide windows.

Jeralt, my dad, was seated across from me. We'd taken up a place near the window.

Since we hadn't had much chance to interact the night before, he wanted to treat me out to celebrate my first proper day on the job. Also, to get a bit of privacy and away from Rhea, he'd decided on a small restaurant in the village below Garreg Mach Monastery.

"What, worried about how you taught your students today?" Jeralt shook his head. "From what I've heard, you did a great job. Though…" He gave me a sideways glance and said, "Why didn't you show any of that talent in the troop? We could've used some of that insight in training the new recruits."

"Sorry."

Jeralt frowned.

From outside the window, I could see the sun sinking below the horizon. It was evening, the third time around. The first time had ended… poorly. Unlike in stories and games, having the MC be so disproportionately powerful without any explanation didn't end well. The second time wasn't any better, since I wasn't a skilled enough actor to hide my skills properly, which made it even more suspicious instead.

This time, instead of sparring personally, I had the students pair off and demonstrate their skills to me. Using that, I made a show of taking notes and giving pointers that way.

It was more natural and didn't make me seem superhuman. Insightful, yes, but still within the realm of logic.

The once long sparring sessions was compressed into a couple of hours with me assigning a training regime for the class to work on the next few days. Mostly independent study, with myself as a private tutor to consult on any issues.

…In short, what Byleth did in the game. So much for changing things.

"Kid." Jeralt's voice was somber.

Hearing that, I couldn't help but look back at him.

Jeralt stared at me for a moment and then sighed. "You're worrying too much."

"It's my job to worry."

Now, at least. Something I didn't realize while jumping into all of this.

Baby steps. Everything had to be done piece by piece, meticulously at that. Until now, I had managed to get away with letting things slip, but the butterfly effect was magnifying with every day, and I didn't have the magic of plot convenience to let things just work.

"And that's where you're wrong."

I froze. Did he… just read my mind?

Jeralt shook his head. "Even if you're a professor now, you shouldn't be trying to do everything yourself. Heck, you should be trying to get rid of as much work as you can."

I relaxed. It was just coincidence. Still, that was just like Dad. I shook my head and smirked before saying, "Speaking from experience, Dad?"

"Of course." Jeralt smiled and took a sip from his drink, a strong cider. "Alois was a life-saver for that. The first few years I was the captain I worried so much that I started to get gray hairs. Iris had to drag me out from the office to get me to relax."

"Iris, huh?"

An unfamiliar name, both to me and Byleth. Well, somewhat. _I_ knew the name as the messenger goddess from Greek mythology, but I doubted it was the same person.

"Ah, right." Jeralt shook his head. "Guess it's time we had that talk, huh?"

"Talk?" I frowned.

"That's right. Talk." Jeralt glanced around. "Hm… this isn't the best place for this, but better here than at the monastery, at least."

I looked around as well. Maybe since it was a weekday and the school had started, but there weren't any people around. It was almost as if the entire place had been reserved for me and my dad alone… which was probably true, come to think of it. After all, if the Blade Breaker came and asked you to reserve something, I doubted that people would decline the request, given how much of a popularity boost it would be.

Jeralt sighed and took a long sip from his drink. "I'll just say it. Might as well get it over with." He shook his head and said, "Iris… was your mother."

"My mother?"

A strange mix of emotion welled up on hearing that. Part of it was me, curious to learn more details about the one that was referred to in the game but never elaborated. The other though… that pang of bittersweet and yearning… that definitely wasn't.

"That's right." Jeralt stared off into the distance and sighed. "How do I start this…? Argh, she was always the one better at words. Must be where you get your knack from teaching from, actually. Couldn't have come from me, at least… your hair and looks, too." He stared at me and smiled. "I was worried for a while that you'd get this ugly mug, but it looks like you inherited your mom's features. Thank the goddess for small miracles at least."

"I dunno, Dad. Still got a few years to go to find out, don't I?"

Jeralt laughed and said, "That's true. I am getting up there…"

There was silence for a while, followed by the sound of clattering dishes in the distance. Probably the cook making our meals.

I decided to speak up. "What brought this on, Dad? It's not like you to be so sentimental."

Jeralt tilted his head and said, "And what about you, Kid? It's not like you to be so worried. Your students might not have noticed, but it looks like you've seen a ghost."

"A ghost, huh?"

That was pretty accurate. The betrayal and shock in Edelgard's eyes as she realized that I wasn't normal. Hubert's cold laughter when he managed to force me into striking him down.

I stared at my left arm, clenching my fist.

Jeralt sighed. "Maybe it wasn't a good idea letting you teach here. If you're that worried-"

I shook my head. "It's fine. Just the first day, you know?"

Jeralt stared at me and shook his head. "Goddess, I wish your mother was still here. Maybe then…"

"What was she like?"

"Hm?"

"My mom. What was she like?"

Jeralt gave me a _look_. Like he knew that I wanted to change the subject, that I wanted to deflect. But it seemed like he realized I didn't have any intention of elaborating, so he shook his head. "Fine. Your mother…" Jeralt swirled his cup. "She was soft. Quiet, but strong." A faint smile crossed his face and he said, "Beautiful, too. Even now, I wonder why she picked me of all people. I was the Captain of the Knights of Seiros, but that was all I had to my name. No money, no family… and yet she picked me."

I took a sip from my cup and stared out the window.

In the corner of my eyes, I saw a flash of green, surrounded by golden light. Sothis appeared and sat on the booth next to Jeralt, directly across from me. She glanced at Jeralt and then looked back at me. "Will you not tell him?"

Tell him what?

Sothis sighed. "You have realized it, have you not? You and I alone will not be enough. Furthermore, the ripples across Fate are growing. Sooner rather than later, the time will come when it becomes a towering wave, one that you cannot stand against by yourself."

That's…

Jeralt shook his head and said, "Sorry, Kid. Lost myself for a bit there." He took a sip from his drink and said, "Was there something you wanted to know about her?"

Iris. Byleth's mother and, in turn, my mother. The one who pleaded with Rhea to save Byleth's life by embedding Sothis's Crest Stone in his heart. And, in doing so, giving up her own life. The ultimate sacrifice…

I felt a pang in my chest. Again, that yearning and bittersweet feeling. Coupled with… nostalgia? Regret?

My emotions were all messed up from today. This… wasn't really helping me any.

Still…

"How did you two meet?"

…I wanted to know.

Jeralt's eyes took on a distant look again. "How we met… it's funny. The most ridiculous thing… I had just gotten back from a mission. Can't remember what it was, but I was dead tired. So tired that I looked like you do right now, dead on my feet."

"Ha. Ha."

"Tough crowd, huh? Where was I… right. I was dead tired and didn't care where I was walking. Because of that, I didn't see it. You see, Iris loved flowers. Maybe it was because she didn't get out much, but she loved planting them everywhere and caring for them." Jeralt laughed. "It got a bit out of hand sometimes, since she didn't really care where she planted as long as they could grow. Well, one of those places happened to be right outside my office. I forget why… maybe she thought the place needed a bit of color."

I nodded. A love for flowers… that explained Byleth's green thumb. And how he could drown his students in flowers to win their affection in game.

"Anyway," Jeralt said. "I managed to trip over a flower pot on the way in. Barely a few seconds after she had set it down, too. I can still see the look on her face… she was walking away the same time I walked in. When she heard the crack, your mother ran back and gave me the lecture of a lifetime." He shook his head and said, "I don't think I've ever learned more about flowers than any other time in my life."

A typical crash into hello… well, almost. So that was how they met, huh?

Judging from my dad's expression, it was a fond and silly memory. A faint smile and warmth was there that I hadn't seen before, except maybe when he was concerned about me.

Sothis sighed. "Again, will you not consider it?"

We don't have any more Divine Pulses.

"You will not need them." She turned to look at Jeralt and said, "I know it is hard to trust another in the situation you have found yourself in. However, you must have at least one other ally! I… I can only do so much for you."

Sothis trailed off and lowered her head.

…It seemed like she was feeling a bit guilty too. Maybe she thought that she should have seen what happened with the students coming since she was supposed to be an all-knowing goddess. But… that was impossible. She was a person too, and people made mistakes.

…Right.

In that case…

"Dad."

"Hm?" Jeralt looked up and said, "What is it, Kid?"

I paused, wondering how to phrase it. Eventually, I decided to just say it.

"Tell me, do you believe in time travel?"

"Time travel?" Jeralt frowned. "You mean how long it takes to get somewhere?"

"No, I mean…" I had forgotten how foreign a concept time travel was to people. Or rather, how mainstream it was on Earth. "Turning back the hands of time. Taking another path instead of a decision you had made."

Jeralt paused, silent.

My heart raced. Again, emotions spilled forth. Fear of rejection, embarrassment, hope.

I frowned and clenched my fists, trying to control them.

"Time travel, huh?" Jeralt shook his head. "Can't say I've ever heard of that, but… hm." He looked me in the eye and said, "So that's what's going on with you, huh?"

Sothis smiled and said, "See? Your father believes you, as I said he would."

…But does he?

I couldn't read him. My dad's face had gone cold, the stony visage of the Blade Breaker rather than Jeralt.

Still, I couldn't back down now.

"…Yes."

Jeralt sighed before cracking a smile. "Good thing that I know the guy who runs this place. Didn't I teach you not to talk about important things where people you didn't trust could hear?"

"…Sorry."

"And enough with the apologies." Jeralt shook his head. "Still… turning back the hands of time… hm. I can't say I'm surprised."

I blinked. "You're not?"

Jeralt leaned back and said, "I've lived a long life, Kid. Seen plenty of strange things and plenty of strange people. Time travel isn't the oddest thing I've heard… though it is a first. It also explains your mother's behavior at least."

"Hm?"

"Ah, sorry." Jeralt shook his head. "I guess you wouldn't know. Your mother… she was oddly perceptive at times. I thought she was just insightful, but if you can time travel… I guess that explains some of her quirks."

Sothis?

The goddess shook her head. "I do not recall any of this. Nor do I recall your mother."

So then you don't know if my mother could use the Divine Pulse.

Sothis frowned. "I do not. Moreover, the name 'Iris' does not stir anything in my heart. Neither memories nor emotions."

Odd. Then…

"Your meals." The server came over with our meals. A beef stew with bread for my dad and a steak with potatoes for me.

Jeralt looked at the server and nodded. "Thanks, Tom."

The man smiled. "Anytime, Jerry. Now, I'll be in the back doing my best to forget everything I hear for the next few hours." With that said, he left us alone, disappearing into the kitchen.

I frowned as I watched the man leave.

Jeralt noticed and said, "What? Curious about Tom?"

I nodded. "I am. He seems… familiar, for some reason."

Something in the way he walked, or maybe his face…

"I'm not surprised. Your mother and I used to come here a lot before you were born… and Tom was the one who helped me leave after the fire. You probably remember him from that."

"Maybe…"

"If you're worried about him, you don't need to be." Jeralt shook his head. "Tom's been a good friend all these years. If anyone will keep a secret, it's him. But anyway…" He looked at me and said, "What do you need me to do, Kid? You wouldn't just drop something like that on me without a plan."

I stared at my dad… at Jeralt.

He was different. Not quite the face I had in my hazy memories, but the support and care in those eyes were the same. The unconditional love and faith that a father had in his child.

This was probably going to change a lot. But at the rate things were going, the story was already going to diverge. So…

* * *

Jeralt took a long drink from his cider and slammed the cup on the table. After that, he rubbed the bridge of his nose and said, "Damn. That's one hell of a story, Kid."

"But true."

Jeralt let out a long sigh. "Damn. So that's what Rhea was hiding… doesn't make it much better knowing that your mom chose to save you, but still… You deserved better than a sword and a world of troubles." He shook his head and said, "So those three brats are the lynchpins, huh? And everything hits the fan when I drop dead near the end of the year from a backstab. That sound about right?"

"Yep."

"And the girl you kept seeing in your dreams is Sothis, the goddess worshiped by the Church of Seiros. Which is you." Jeralt glanced at Sothis, seated beside me, and said, "Right?"

Sothis smiled. "Correct. And might I say that you are taking this quite well, Jeralt."

"Don't get me wrong." Jeralt shook his head and said, "This is pretty hefty stuff the kid's dropping on me. Damn. And I thought Diane had it bad when her kid said that she was pregnant. Here I am learning my kid's not only the host to Fodlan's goddess, but that the students he's teaching will be responsible for the largest war Fodlan's ever seen for the past millennia… not to mention that there's a secret underground race hell-bent on getting rid of Rhea and the rest of her family." He paused and ran his hand through his hair. "Argh… and there's Rhea, too." He shook his head and said, "I knew the other shoe was going to drop sooner or later. She was just too damned nice of a mother-in-law."

Jeralt tried to take a swig from his cup again and then realized it was empty. When he did, he sighed and put it back down. "Well… damn. Alright." Jeralt nodded and scratched his beard. "There's a lot we need to do then. First off… I'm going to need you to write me a timeline, kid- no." Jeralt turned to Sothis and said, "You. Your divine- er, your Goddessness-"

"Just call me Sothis." She smiled and said, "Though I may be a goddess… in a way, we are family, are we not?"

You are enjoying this way too much.

_But it is amusing, is it not?_

I sighed.

"…Damn," Jeralt muttered. "That's right. If Rhea is Seiros, then you're… what, my grandmother-in-law?" He shook his head and said, "No. That's not important right now. Sothis, then."

"Yes?"

"I'm going to need you to give me a breakdown on everything that happens in the future. It'd be great if we could write it down, but it's too risky." Jeralt turned towards me. "As for you, Kid… play it safe. Rhea's watching you and your students are counting on you to guide them. Don't worry about the other stuff for now and focus on getting to know your students." He smiled and said, "Leave the boring stuff to me. Just like we've always done, alright?"

"…Alright."

Jeralt got up from his seat. "Right. Damn." He shook his head. "I knew tonight was going to be heavy, but I didn't think it'd end up like this…"

Sothis drifted over to Jeralt and said, "Regretting asking your son about his problems?"

"Never. I regret a lot of things in life, but that will never be one of them." Jeralt looked to me and said, "Got that, Kid? You need to rely on me for stuff like this more often. You might technically be an adult, but even then, I'll always be your dad. And dads are there to help when something's too big for their kid to handle alone… Argh." He shook his head. "I've been hanging around Alois too much… anyway, I'll head off first. The meal's already on my tab, so take your time and head back when you feel like it. I'll let the gatekeeper know to let you in on the way back."

"Got it."

"Good. Then… night, Kid. And again, don't worry. That's my job. Well, and Sothis over here. Right?" He glanced at Sothis.

She nodded. "Indeed."

"It's settled." Jeralt… my dad turned to look at me one more time and said, "Don't stay out too long… but don't rush, either. Night, Kid."

"Night, Dad."

Jeralt had a faint smile on his face and then left, Sothis floating along beside him.

After the door shut behind him, I frowned.

"…This is wrong."

I didn't plan for things to end up like this. But…

"It's wrong, but I guess it can't be helped."

I sighed and took a drink from my cup of water. It wasn't cold anymore, having become room temperature after our long conversation. Still, it helped to calm me down a bit.

I glanced at my left arm, where my artificial magic crest was embedded. "Rely on others, huh?"

Maybe Dad had a point. I might be Byleth, but that didn't mean I was anyone special. The world didn't revolve around me and things wouldn't magically go my way. In fact, it was swiftly becoming apparent that the world was pressing to make things go _against_ my intents.

"Will this work?"

I had left out information. The bit about me not being Byleth, at least not completely, I had held back. Also about me having knowledge from a different world.

"No. This will work."

A choice. I had made my choice.

I was weak. Strong, but weak. I had all these ideas in my head and could beat down even the impossibly strong Black Eagles without a sweat. But that strength was worthless alone. In fact, it had the opposite effect.

So…

_This could turn the tides._

"…I guess I'll reach out my hand. Heh." I smirked. "So that's what Sothis was amused about."

Edelgard and I were pretty similar after all. Knowing the truth of the world but being unable to share it fearing that no one would believe. Placing everything on your own shoulders and quietly moving forward without doubt…

I shook my head and started eating my steak. Dad had paid for it, so I might as well finish it before I leave.

And yet, why did I feel like I made a mistake?

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Well, I guess the part authors say about the story taking a life of its own is true. Definitely planned a different scene, but this came up instead. I'm as curious as you all probably are on how this will go. With Jeralt in the play and being forewarned, I wonder if a few key events might turn out differently... or if things will converge to the same point regardless.

I guess we'll find out when we get there.

Anyway, thanks as always for reading and your input. I hope this chapter was enjoyable, and I'll see you in the next one.


	19. Unfulfilled

It was quiet. The sun had set, leaving the moon in its place to cast light on the land.

After finishing my dinner, I headed back towards the monastery. As I walked, I took a note of the village surrounding me.

It was odd. Maybe since Fodlan was a weird mix of technology levels, the buildings were as well. Like the restaurant I had just had dinner in with my dad, the buildings were reminiscent of Earth. Some log cabins, some houses with what looked like sheetrock walls and wooden sidings.

There was even a paved road running through the village and back up to the monastery.

I shook my head and kept walking.

The lights were on in the village houses, soft candlelight illuminating the windows. The panes weren't clear, however, a bit opaque, so it was near impossible to make out what lay beyond them without getting near. Something that I didn't intend to do.

Strangely melancholic. That was probably the best way to describe my mood right now. With Sothis gone to chart things out with my dad, that left me alone to my own devices.

Tomorrow would be another day… Wednesday, at that. 4/23, a week before the mock battle.

I shook my head. "Focus."

Like my dad said, I was too worried. Maybe that was the source of everything. Overcompensating… I spent all of those Divine Pulses and managed to get stronger, but it was a bit _too_ strong. Unnaturally so. As a result, the world seemed like it was pushing back against me, forcing certain events to go against my desired outcome no matter how illogical.

'Fate' would not take being defied or disturbed so easily, it seemed.

I frowned and kept walking. "If that's the case…"

Then what could I do? The more I pushed, the more I got pushed back against. Then… did I need to wait? Bide my time until the critical moment to break the chains of Fate? Or was it a slow accumulation that was necessary, like how my dad and Sothis were making plans?

…And speaking of that, would it even work? The Eisner Mercenary Troop should be arriving this weekend, and my dad was more than experienced in subversive activities. However, I had a feeling that things wouldn't be that simple.

Hm... Maybe this was how Lucina felt. Groping in the dark, changing critical events and hoping that the future wouldn't collapse as a result. Only, the difference here was that we weren't operating on Outrealm logic where you could change things that easily. The Divine Pulse didn't shift you to a different world, but spun back time itself. The same 'line' of time. Events could lead to different branches, but they were all on the same 'plane'. At least, that was my hypothesis.

How should I-

"Hey, Boss! Fancy seeing you out this late."

A nonchalant voice echoed through the quiet night air. Disarming, filled with charisma.

Claude.

I turned towards it to see the bow-using lord approach me, a carefree smile on his face.

He waved and said, "I didn't know you liked to night crawl. Care if I join you?"

"I don't mind."

That was what I said, but internally I wished for everything but.

Claude… I still didn't have a good read on him. I wasn't sure if he was the usual Claude, or if he knew things. Signs pointed towards the latter, but then again everyone was a bit off in this reality.

"Alright!" Claude walked over and fell into step beside me. "So what brings you out this late? Trying to do something secret from your class?"

I shook my head. "Nothing that spectacular. My dad just wanted to have a dinner together."

"Dinner huh? Why out here though?" Claude paused. "Ah, let me guess. The monastery too stuffy for you?"

"You could say that." I shrugged and said, "It's odd being surrounded with people you don't know and having them be so friendly. Usually that's a sign that they're out to kill you."

A careful response, mixed from Byleth's memories and fiction.

Claude grimaced. "Yeah, I know what you mean. It's been weird seeing all these smiling faces and pleasantries. I'm used to things being a lot more… cutthroat, shall we say?"

"Mm."

We walked for a while in silence.

Claude walked beside me, his hands clasped behind his head. On the surface, he seemed to just be enjoying the night air. A faint smile was on his face and his eyes were relaxed. Yet, I could see a faint glimpse of discernment in them. Caution and expectation.

"So what brings you out here, Claude?" I decided to test the waters and said, "Meeting a secret messenger to devise tactics for the upcoming mock battle?"

Claude laughed. "Just idling around, Boss. Stressful first day and all, you know? Introductions were never really my thing… well, not my preferred thing."

"Could have fooled me."

His introduction to Byleth had been natural, as well as the way he casually pulled Byleth to dance with him. Someone like that being uncomfortable with introductions was… odd. Or maybe this was just him opening up?

"Great! Looks like the practice paid off then. Mom always told me I'd need to make a good impression on the folks back in her homeland." He smiled and said, "Though, considering how me being bad at them led to me being dragged around my ankle by a horse… But anyway, you and your dad, huh?"

I nodded. "That's right."

Claude made a show of looking around and said, "Did he head back first? I don't see him anywhere around."

"Unlike me, my dad has an early start tomorrow. Comes with being the de facto captain of the Knights of Seiros."

"Ooh, that's right." Claude nodded. "He is, isn't he? The famous Blade Breaker, Jeralt Eisner, Captain of the Knights of Seiros… Funny how it never came up in your family conversations, huh?"

Not too subtle probing from Claude. I'd been expecting it though.

"Mmhm. You should probably know something about that though. From what I hear, you suddenly showed up in Fodlan not long ago, right? I imagine it was a bit of a shock on your end."

"Man." Claude smiled and said, "You have no idea, Boss. One day I'm out with my mom on a walk and the next day I find out I'm royalty. Not just that, but in a whole 'nother country too. Crazy how life works sometimes."

"Yeah. Who would have ever thought a mercenary like me would end up a professor teaching kids way outside of my social class."

A dry response. Monotone and ambivalent like everything else Byleth said.

Despite that, Claude grinned. "Right?" He glanced up at the sky, and then said, "Fate really does play weird tricks on us all."

…I still couldn't read him. Well, I could. There was a clear vibe of 'I know something you don't' coming off of Claude. But that could just be me reading too much into it. Or it could be him probing to see how I'd react when he actually knew the truth of Byleth time traveling.

Claude shook his head and then looked at me. "You know, you never did hear me out on my offer the other day."

"…That's right."

I'd forgotten in the rush of everything.

"It's no big deal. Having a barbecue with your students takes priority over the others. Ah, that reminds me. Invite me the next time you're having one, alright? I've got a bunch of recipes I think you'd like."

"Of course."

Claude nodded. "Right. Then…" He trailed off and looked back up at the sky. "Hm… you know, this is harder to ask than I thought."

An inkling of danger. But was it my paranoia, or the truth?

I couldn't tell, so I decided on a noncommittal response. "Something troubling you?"

"You could say that. Though, I think it has more to do with you then with me." Claude came to a stop and then turned towards me. He lowered his hands and then said, "Boss… no, Teach. Tell me…"

…Dammit. I should have listened to Sothis about using the Divine Pulses so nonchalantly.

Still, this was salvageable. I just had to-

"…Do you have a sister?"

"Huh?"

Claude shook his head, frowning. He looked at me and then sighed. "Argh… never mind. I must have been imagining things. Maybe the stress of everything is getting to my head."

"Wait. What are you talking about?"

A sister? Me? Claude?

What?

Claude stared at me, looking somewhat embarrassed. He scratched the back of his head and said, "Well… fine. Fine! Since it's you, I'll just say this once. You see, Boss… you're pretty attractive. I mean, even as a guy. You've got the whole pretty eyes and delicate looks going on, you know? I was just thinking that if you had a sister, she'd be pretty… well, pretty. You know?"

"I… guess?"

I mean, that was true. Byleth… or rather, female Byleth was fairly attractive. A bit ditsy looking, but still pretty attractive.

"Argh… I knew it was silly to ask. Still, I had to check, you know?"

I blinked and slowly shook my head. "No. I don't know."

Claude laughed. "Don't worry about it, Boss. I was just curious." He glanced up and said, "And hey, looks like we're back."

I looked up to see that we had, indeed, reached the front gates of Garreg Mach Monastery.

"I'll go on ahead," Claude said. "Don't want Edelgard to get any odd ideas like I'm trying to poach you or anything."

I grimaced. "Right. That would be bad."

This time around, I didn't manage to get on Edelgard's bad side. But it was a thin line I was walking. I didn't doubt that being seen with Claude could tip the scale back to suspicion.

Claude waved and said, "Don't be a stranger, alright? Ah, and I still owe you one, so hit me up whenever you want to hang out. Have a good night, Boss."

With that, he ran off ahead and inside the monastery.

Only when he vanished did I realize it.

…I never found out what Claude was doing out so late.

Hopefully it wasn't anything important… Tch. And now it's obviously going to be, isn't it?

I'd been too lenient recently… too relaxed. If Fate was really working against me, he, she, or it was extremely skilled at playing the long game.

I shook my head and walked up to the gate. When I drew near, a cheerful voice called out.

"Greetings, Professor!"

I looked up to see the gatekeeper waving at me.

"I've heard from Captain Jeralt already! Wow, that still gets me. To think that the famous Captain Jeralt is back… and his son is teaching here at the Officers Academy too!" The gatekeeper smiled, a brilliant expression that gleamed even in the night.

I blinked, caught off guard. Not because of the smile, but rather…

"…Alm?"

"Hm?" The gatekeeper tilted his head. "Ah! No, no. You don't need to pay any alms to enter the monastery, Professor! Though, that might be a good idea for the festival… no, no. My salary is good enough. Can't be too greedy, now can I?"

Again, the gatekeeper smiled.

I shook my head, but it seemed like I wasn't mistaken.

Although his face was mostly obscured beneath the generic helmet, I could clearly see a few tufts of curly green hair beneath it. And then there were his eyes, a light green shade that was clear even in the night air.

"Oh!" The gatekeeper shook his head. "How rude of me! I don't think we've been introduced yet!" The gatekeeper smiled and held out his hand. "I'm Aidem! Nice to meet you."

Aidem…? Like, Aid 'em?

I smiled at the absurdity of it and shook the gatekeeper's hand. "Byleth. You'll probably be seeing me around a lot."

"A pleasure to meet you, Professor Byleth!" The gatekeeper and Alm doppelganger smiled and then said, "Now, you should probably get inside. Professors and staff don't have a curfew, but some students might get the wrong idea since you look so young. I wouldn't want you to lose your job over something like that."

There was genuine concern in his words.

I nodded. "Thanks, Aidem." I let go of his hand and then walked towards the gate.

"That's my job, Professor Byleth! Have a good night, and good luck with classes tomorrow!"

The doors creaked open, Aidem pulling a lever off on the side.

I waved at the gatekeeper and said, "You too, Aidem. Stay safe."

After catching a glimpse of his bright smile in return, I entered back into the monastery.

* * *

Like everything else, it was quiet. The curfew meant that there weren't any students out and about. However, that didn't mean that there weren't any people about. As per usual, the Knights of Seiros patrolled the grounds, manning various stations throughout the monastery.

I shook my head and headed back towards my room. I'd entered on the south side of the monastery at the main entrance, so I'd need to take a left towards the pond, then right along the dormitories-

"Good evening, Professor. It is pleasant out tonight, is it not?"

A serene voice carried through the air.

I didn't want to believe it, but when I turned towards the speaker, I saw Rhea walking towards me.

She had changed her attire, making me not recognize her for a moment. Instead of her flowing white robes or the blue ones from the game, she wore a plain brown dress and boots. Her hair was also styled differently, a braided ponytail rather than her usual long hair.

Rhea looked at me and then held a hand up to her mouth. "Oh, I apologize. Did I frighten you?"

Honestly, yes. But I couldn't say that, so I shook my head and said, "No. Just a bit surprised." I paused and then said, "You look different."

Rhea smiled and said, "Yes. It wouldn't do for me to walk about in my usual attire, particularly at this time of day. Though…" She spun around and said, "What do you think? Does this… not suit me?"

My first response was no, it really didn't. Yet… when I stared at her again, I found that it did, kind of. Without her usual attire and seeing her outside of the context of the church, I guess I could see her being a normal person. The light green hair and eyes were a dead giveaway, but maybe in another time she'd be normal.

Maybe.

Rhea sighed. "I suppose not. Perhaps the years have taken a toll on me."

"I didn't say that. You look fine. It's just… odd to see you like this."

And being strangely pleasant. It was a curveball I definitely wasn't equipped to handle after what had happened today.

But focus. Relax. Sothis wasn't here to give anything away, and it wasn't like things could get worse, could they?

Rhea smiled. "That is kind of you to say, Professor. But you need not give me empty praise. I have gotten quite enough of that over the years." She was quiet for a moment and then looked up in the sky for a bit before turning back. "Would you walk with me for a while, Professor?"

I wanted to say no. Sothis wasn't here to help nor did I have any Divine Pulses left to use.

Still, I didn't have any good grounds to refuse. She _was_ the most powerful figure in Fodlan at the moment, and there wasn't an HR department around where I could report her.

…Except maybe Seteth, but the relationship between them hadn't broken down yet, so it wouldn't help.

Rhea's smile dimmed. "Do you find me that repulsive to be around as well?"

I shook my head. "No. A walk is fine."

"Wonderful!" She immediately closed the distance between us and stood on my right side. "I know that you are quite busy with your duties as a professor, so I appreciate you taking this time to spend with me."

"I should be saying that to you. Does your role not require you to do a lot of paper work?"

Rhea hummed and tilted her head. "This is true… but Seteth has kindly volunteered to fulfill my duties for this evening, so there is no need to worry."

Ah. Guess my impression of Seteth being overworked was accurate. I definitely needed to get him a nice apology gift at some time… maybe this weekend when I tried fishing for a while.

We walked along the paved path circling the outside of the monastery's main building. Moonlight, as well as ambient light from fixtures that were similar to lampposts but operating on mana instead of electricity, lit the way.

It was almost enjoyable. The atmosphere reminded me a lot of university, prowling between buildings on my midnight library runs studying for mid-terms.

Almost, if not for the person walking beside me.

Rhea was walking with her hands held in front of her, as she would being the Archbishop. Yet, there was a relaxed air about her, different from her usual serene look. If I had to describe it, I'd call it 'peaceful'.

Which was odd and alarming when I recalled what had happened today.

Was this another ripple? One caused by my actions and Sothis being more active? Or was this a consequence of whatever time distortions happened to allow me to be here?

I couldn't tell and that was driving me up the wall, especially when I didn't have any attempts left.

Rhea noticed me staring and laughed. "You needn't be so nervous, Professor. If there is something you are curious about, you are free to ask."

I shook my head. It seemed like I wasn't being subtle enough… but I could use that. "Sorry," I said. "It's just… you're different. Is there a reason why you changed your hair?"

"Hm? Oh, this." Rhea twirled her hair and said, "There was no particular reason. I just felt that I would try something different tonight. Perhaps it is something in the air, but I am feeling quite a bit nostalgic."

I frowned. "Nostalgic?" And something in the air… was it my continued usage of Divine Pulse?

Rhea shook her head. "It is nothing. More importantly, how was your first day? Well, I suppose today would technically be your second, but it is your first proper day interacting with your students, is it not?"

I sighed. "It has been…" The memories of my mistakes flickered in my mind. I shook my head and said, "…An ordeal. Teaching is… quite a bit more complicated than I had thought it would be."

Mostly because I forgot that people didn't take kindly to those who are unnaturally powerful for no reason. If I had done what I did today after gaining the Sword of the Creator or revealing the Crest of Flames, things might have been different but…

"Ah." Rhea nodded. "Yes, I suppose it would be quite the transition. I remember my first days as the Archbishop." She laughed and said, "You would not believe how much of a mess it was. Were it not for my dear siblings, perhaps the Church would have been in quite a different state than it was today."

"Is that so?"

She was pretending to talk about her role as Rhea, but it was clear that she meant around the establishment days. That would have been… right after a zealous crusade, right? Yes, if the other saints hadn't been around, considering how unhinged Rhea… or rather, Seiros, would have been, the Church could very well have been much different. An iron grip on humanity, a goddess walking among men, striking fear of damnation into their hearts…

Hm. Valentia, I guess?

"Yes." Rhea nodded. "Let's just say that the years have done wonders at helping my general temperament."

Right. Other than the whole trying to resurrect Sothis thing.

"In any case," Rhea said. "While it may be a bit difficult to adjust at first, I am certain that you will do well in your role as a professor. Moreover, you have plenty of support should you feel like you are faltering. Do not place too much of a burden on yourself, will you?"

Again, Rhea was being oddly considerate. And… treating me more like me and not like the reincarnation of Sothis?

I frowned.

"Is something wrong?" Rhea stared at me, her eyes soft and filled with concern. Genuine concern.

Byleth… this is definitely you, isn't it? Have your bonds carried over?

There wasn't a response, of course. Not that I expected one. Still, I sometimes wished I could drag that guy out and have a long chat with him. Our memories were mixed, but I wasn't completely him. Everything I was doing was based on an outsider's perspective looking in which… was good and bad. Something I'd need to reconsider in the near future.

I realized I was taking too long to respond to Rhea. Wracking my mind for an excuse, I said, "Isn't it dangerous for you to be out here by yourself?"

"Hm?" Rhea tilted her head. "But I am not alone, am I? You are here with me. Unless you lack confidence in your abilities?"

"I-"

Rhea laughed. "It was in jest, Professor. And I am glad for your concern. However, you need not worry about myself." She smiled and held out her right hand, revealing crackling flames. "I am quite adept at defending myself. The role of Archbishop extends beyond merely moral support of Fodlan."

"I see."

And I knew. The only reason why she loses when Edelgard invades is because of being ambushed by demonic beasts. Something that still happened to me in the game, even with a level 60 Byleth at times when grinding for smithing materials.

Rhea dismissed her flames and then looked up in the sky. "How strange," she muttered.

"Hm?"

"Walking beside you like this, under the starry sky… it feels oddly nostalgic. Nostalgic and… bittersweet." She lowered her gaze and looked at me, a strange mix of emotions in her emerald eyes.

Yearning, regret, guilt, sorrow, and… happiness?

It would be understandable if she was mistaking me for Sothis. But… I had the feeling that she wasn't. Those eyes of hers weren't looking through me towards something else, but directly at me.

"You know," Rhea said. "Jeralt used to walk around with me a lot when he was younger as well. Though I suppose it was less of him walking around with me and more me walking around with him." Rhea smiled. "Your father always took his job far too seriously. The perfect knight, devoting himself entirely for my sake… Those walks were the only way for him to unwind." She sighed and said, "Perhaps if I had not… no. It is a too late to consider."

"Hm?"

Rhea sighed. "Heed me no mind, Byleth. I was simply swept up in the wave of nostalgia." She blinked and said, "Ah, but I must be boring you. After all, we've simply been speaking of my own troubles and feelings."

"I don't mind." A stable Rhea was better than an unhinged Seiros, at least. And anything I could do to delay the ticking time bomb of her snapping, or lessen the impact when I sided with Edelgard was a plus in my book.

"No, I have taken enough of your time." Rhea shook her head. "Moreover… I do believe we have arrived at your room."

"Hm?"

I glanced around to see that we had, indeed, arrived at my room.

Rhea turned towards me and said, "I must thank you for giving in to my selfish request tonight, Byleth. Truly, I appreciate it."

"You're welcome?"

Rhea smiled and said, "I wish you a good night and pleasant day tomorrow, Byleth. Farewell." With a final wave, Rhea walked away into the night.

I was still a bit shocked by it all, so I stood there for a while longer, confused.

Seriously, what brought on that conversation? Was Sothis's presence really that helpful in calming her down? Did I become some sort of security blanket for her? Or was this the result of some new game plus mechanic carrying over into reality somehow? Like an S-Support Rank carrying over?

I shook my head. Too many questions, not enough answers… and my left arm was still bugging me.

I sighed and unlocked my room.

Maybe tomorrow would be better…

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Testing update times a bit to see if maybe it's the fact that I'm uploading too close together that FFN isn't showing the update.

As always, thanks for reading and giving your input. I really appreciate it.

There's a lot I'd love to say about this chapter... but that'd be giving things away, so I'll just leave it at that.

Hope that it was enjoyable and I'll see you next time.


	20. Cycle

A scattered dream like a far off memory… a far off memory like a scattered dream.

Was any of it real… or not?

It was impossible to tell.

All I knew was that I could see it. That I saw it.

* * *

Caspar cracked his neck and rolled his right shoulder. "You sure you're up for this, Professor? I mean, not to doubt your skills or anything, but you don't seem _that_ strong."

I blinked and looked at him. There was a wooden training sword in my right hand, held loosely to the side.

I frowned and shook my head, trying to clear it. This time would be different. It had to be different.

"What? Worried you'll lose?" Caspar picked up his wooden training axe and said, "Better focus, Professor! You're gonna regret it if you don't!"

Regret it? Focus? …Right. Focus. I had to focus.

The training grounds near the western dormitories. The ones near my room. Standing there, I raised my sword and stared at Caspar.

I knew his fighting style well. Heavy strikes, rigid blows. He was weak in follow up attacks, but those were unnecessary. When they were, a partner to cover his weaknesses would be enough.

But at the moment, he was still inexperienced. He was not yet the veteran warrior honed through years of war. The potential was there, but unpolished. A diamond in the rough.

"Are you two ready?"

I blinked and looked to my right. Edelgard was standing there. Still young and… somewhat curious? It seemed like she was the one to oversee the spar between Caspar and I.

Caspar grinned and brushed his nose with his left hand. "Ready when you are, Professor!"

I frowned.

Edelgard glanced over at me and said, "Professor?"

I shook my head. "I'm ready."

Different. This time had to be different. In that case…

Edelgard nodded and said, "We will begin the spar on three. One… two… three!"

Caspar kicked off the ground, pouncing towards me. "Hope you're ready!"

"Predictable!" I swung my sword and instantly closed the gap, punishing his reckless charge.

My sword reached Caspar's neck before his attack could finish.

Caspar's eyes widened and he froze.

A headache. I frowned and shook my head.

This is wrong… this was wrong.

Caspar laughed and stepped back, scratching the back of his head. "Heh. Guess you made me eat my words, huh Professor?"

I frowned.

No… this was not how the events were supposed to play out. At this rate-

My left arm burned. I glanced over at it to see a familiar crest, one that should have vanished.

Gasps filled the training ground. However, there was one person who didn't make a sound. Instead, she looked at me, shock and disbelief in her gaze.

Edelgard's violet eyes were wide and she took a step back. Glancing at the crest hovering near my left shoulder and me, she said, "Professor, you are-"

_CRACK._

Time spun backwards.

Once more, I stood before Caspar. However… it was different. His axe was abandoned and he lay unconscious on the ground before me.

He was not the only one unarmed. The wooden training sword that should have been in my right arm was missing as well. Instead, I was standing with my hands raised, taking an unfamiliar fighting pose.

I frowned. This-

"…It would appear that you held back more than I anticipated, Professor." Edelgard walked forward and stared at the wooden sword forgotten on the ground beside me.

I shook my head. "No. I gave it my all."

Hubert gave me a scrutinizing glare. "Did you, now? Then I don't suppose you would mind if I tested your skills?" He stepped forward, a sword in his right hand and dark magic crackling in his left.

Edelgard frowned. "Hubert-"

"Calm yourself, Lady Edelgard. I will do my best not to harm our precious Professor."

Despite his words, there was a cold smile on Hubert's face. It was clear that he intended everything but to do that.

A headache, and fire in my left arm. The Crest of Flames? No, this was different. And even if it was, I couldn't show it now. It was too soon.

I forced down the magic welling in my left arm and picked up my training sword.

Hubert smiled. "Are you ready, Professor?"

I was not. However, I couldn't show it here.

I raised my sword and nodded. "Of course, Hubert."

His eyes widened the tiniest fraction before narrowing. "I see… then there will be no mercy!"

Dark magic crackled along his left arm, arcing towards his sword before running along its edge.

An unfamiliar technique. I did not teach him that, at least. However, I could see its underlying principles. It was a similar technique to Lysithea's, using magic to cut through the opponent's defense.

"Hubert!" Edelgard called out. Did she know what Hubert was using?

I had no time to think.

A blade wrapped in magic… despite that fact, it was still a blade, and a weapon Hubert was not skilled in.

I stepped to the side, easily avoiding Hubert's slash.

His eyes widened a fraction, but he quickly recovered and slashed out again. "What's the matter, Professor? Afraid of a little danger?"

Once more, I dodged it. What was his game? Such naïve attacks could not-

A flicker of black light. Barely visible between the crackling of the magic surrounding Hubert's blade.

_Hold back! Don't-_

A memory of another place. Another time. Bernadetta's body, riddled in black spikes. Petra, dead on the ground beside her. That man's cold laughter as he ridiculed the weakness of his former friends.

Wind gathered around my blade. A technique to cut him down once and for all, ending this madness.

Hubert froze.

Screams filled the training ground.

Linhardt ran forward, his hands already carring the familiar white glow of healing magic.

Edelgard spun to look at me, her violet eyes wide.

…Edelgard?

If she was here then this wasn't…

I winced and dropped my sword, clutching my head with my free hand.

Hubert staggered back. Blood spilled from a gaping slash along his chest. Even so, he let out cold laughter, filled with scorn. His eyes dark eyes, while dimming, were focused, accusing.

"I knew it. You… you are just like _them_. Hiding a second self beneath-"

_CRACK._

* * *

I woke with a start. Sunlight streamed in through the window. A familiar room filled my eyes. But more importantly, there wasn't any blood.

I winced and clutched my head. "What was that…?"

Similar but different. What I saw reflected what I had done. But it was different, twisted as if seen through a distorted mirror.

…No. That wasn't right. The actions taken were the same, but my thoughts, my emotions…

"Is something the matter?" A soft female voice. Motherly and childish at the same time. Sothis was seated at my desk. Her lips were slightly pursed and she said, "It appeared as if you were having a nightmare."

I sat up and shook my head. "No. It's nothing. Probably just stress and overuse of the Divine Pulse."

Sothis crossed her arms. "Hmph. So you finally learn, do you? Such divine powers are not meant to be used so lightly. Even for one such as you."

"Yeah, yeah. But anyway… What are you doing here?" I frowned and got out of my bed. "Weren't you supposed to be going over things with Dad?"

"I was. And I did. However, the both of us deemed it more important to ensure you did not oversleep. You are no longer a mercenary, you know? A consistent sleeping schedule and time of awakening is vital in your new role."

I rubbed my left arm, still a bit stiff from last night, and said, "Thanks. I guess I really need to get myself an alarm clock… what time is it anyway?"

"Still early in the morning. By your standards… approximately six AM?"

"Six, huh?"

I'd changed the lesson plans to be more of a self-study with a check-in at noon. Still, I said that I'd have office hours a couple of hours before then, so I couldn't lounge around in bed all day.

Sothis floated over and stopped in front of my face. Her eyes, glowing with green light, peered into my own, searching.

I frowned. "What?"

Sothis shook her head and floated away. "Nothing. I simply wanted to determine if I was correct."

"About what?"

Sothis shrugged. "You seemed upset the previous night. Your emotions were fluctuating enough for me to feel them, even so far apart."

Hm… I guess I was caught off guard. Yesterday was a lot heavier than I expected it being, and the impromptu meeting with Claude and Rhea at the end didn't help.

Ah, but meeting Aidem was a fun point. He was just as cheerful and bright in person as he was in the game. More so, even. Though… the odd resemblance to Alm was uncanny.

"In any case," Sothis said. "I am glad that you are well today. And that you have learned your lesson."

I blinked. "What lesson?"

Sothis paused and slowly turned to look at me, clearly unamused.

"…Ah, right. The thing with the whole rewinding and all. Yeah, I got it."

Sothis nodded. "Good. It would be most unpleasant if I had to resort to… alternative means of instilling that lesson in your mind."

I was somewhat curious as to what exactly Sothis was planning… but considering that she was the one in charge of Divine Pulses and was formerly an omniscient and omnipotent divine being, I figured it'd be a bad idea.

Also, I'd tempted Fate enough recently, and considering how it seemed out to get me, going with the status quo for the time being would be good.

Ah. But thinking about Sothis reminded me.

"Hey."

Sothis tilted her head. "Yes?"

I stared at Sothis and said, "…Only I can see you, right? Despite being a Goddess, you're anchored to me and my senses alone?"

Sothis frowned. "That is… a strange manner of phrasing it, but yes. As our existences are entwined… well, mine with Byleth and yours with his, my presence exists primarily in your own mind." She shook her head. "It would be troublesome if this was not true, would it not? Most would not believe me to be their goddess. Rather, I believe you would gain an unfortunate title."

"An unfortunate title?"

Sothis placed a finger on her chin and then nodded. "Yes! That is it. A 'lolicon'."

"…You've been watching anime from my memories, haven't you?"

Sothis turned her head to the side. "I haven't the slightest inkling of what you are implying."

Maybe I should start recreating Occlumency…

Sothis coughed and said, "What brought on this line of questioning, Byleth?"

"Oh, right. I wasn't thinking too much of it yesterday, but how did Dad see you? If you only exist in my mind-"

"I said that I _primarily_ exist in your mind." Sothis huffed and crossed her arms. "Did you believe me a mere figment of your imagination? While limited, my powers _do_ exist. And I told you before, did I not? I can manipulate mana to the same extent as you. You, specifically, the one who treats mana as casually as one might air. Because of that, there are quite a few tricks I can perform. Such as this."

Sothis snapped her fingers. Almost immediately after, there was a flash of golden light and then a light thump against the floor. When the light cleared, there was a young girl standing there.

A white shirt with a black ribbon, short black pleated skirt. Tall socks and black leather clogs.

Sothis had appeared in my room dressed like a Japanese primary student, complete with a tiny backpack.

…Sothis. The divine being said to have created Fodlan itself. The same one that could control time and turn it back to whenever she wished, given enough power…

She smiled and tilted her head, causing her green hair, styled in twin-tails, to sway. "How do I look? Ah… One moment. What was that line…"

"Nope." I flooded my left arm with mana and converted it to disruptive energy waves. "Not happening."

There was a soft shattering noise, and then Sothis's form rippled before turning back to her usual self.

"Hmph." The goddess crossed her arms and said, "You are no fun."

"And you are having too much fun. Honestly, how did I become the mature one…?"

"I thought it would lift your spirits." Sothis frowned. "After all, you've always wanted-"

"Aaand we're done here." I walked over to my wardrobe, pulled out a towel and whatever clothes were there, and then walked out of my room.

"Ah, wait Byleth! Those clothes are-"

I'll talk to you after class. For now, since you've obviously already started, just sit back and comb through the manga in my memories or something!

I locked the door behind me and then headed up towards the bathhouse above my room. Maybe a shower could help clear my head…

* * *

Since it was still early in the morning, I didn't meet anyone on my way to the bathhouse.

Granted, it was only a short walk away, but I thought there should have been at least a few students walking around. Maybe it wasn't a common thing to take early morning showers?

Either way, I reached the front doors of the bathhouse undisturbed. And I was hoping it stayed that way.

I hadn't gotten a good morning shower in since I'd become Byleth… or coffee for that matter. Maybe I should bug Seteth about that supply of coffee he mentioned…

I pulled open the door of the bathhouse. Maybe since it was meant for public use, it swung open with ease, unlocked. Well, it saved me the trouble of picking it open at least.

Like everything else seemed to be, the interior was surprisingly modern. Sparkling white tiles lined the floor in front of me, and speckled ceiling tiles covered above.

The entrance of the bathhouse opened into a wide hallway with all three house banners hung over another set of doors opposite where I entered. On both sides of those doors, there were towering glass panes that revealed a swimming pool.

"So this is what the devs were keeping from us, huh?" I muttered to myself and walked inside.

There were doors on my left and right with signs hanging over them. Men on the left, women on the right.

Peeking in side of one on the left, I saw that it was a small changing area with a portion sectioned off for a shower, one for a toilet, and a sink and mirror directly across from the entrance.

I frowned, but walked inside anyway, closing the door behind me.

If this was the level of technology that Rhea kept from spreading, I could see how Edelgard might have been upset. Well, at the least it added a bit more weight to her argument.

I took off my clothes and pushed aside the shower curtains to walk in… or rather, I started to until I saw my reflection.

"Hm? Was that always like that?"

There was a bruise on my left shoulder. Circular and dark blue. Only, I didn't remember getting that at all.

I walked closer to the mirror and spun around, checking the rest of my body. Unrealistically chiseled muscles, flawless skin… the only blemish was that bruise on my left shoulder.

Poking it didn't hurt, so it didn't look to be serious. Still...

"Maybe I should get a checkup?"

It'd be a problem if it was too intensive though. Something to talk with Dad about in the near future, probably.

I shrugged and walked over to the shower before turning it on.

Cold water splashed over me, washing away the last dredges of fatigue. The chill also helped to calm me down and clear my mind a bit.

To recap things… yesterday was a giant screwup on my part. I was too reliant on things going well and wantonly abusing Divine Pulse to experiment. As a result, I didn't have any when I met with Claude and Rhea.

…Argh, and I just remembered. I never asked how Rhea knew I was getting back at that time, or why she was out there dressed like she was. Another slip up.

And then there was Claude. I thought it was just him being weird, but he asked if I had a sister. Obviously, I didn't, but for him to act like that… was he getting flashbacks… or rather, flashforwards of different timelines? And ones with female Byleth at that?

Hm… When Sothis first saw me, she was confused, wasn't she? When trying to recall my name, she said… what was it? Beleth? And Bellis?

I closed my eyes.

Think… what else was there?

The cold water ran over my hair, dripping along to the ground. A soft and rhythmic sound…

Rhythmic?

My eyes opened.

Right. Rhythmic, cyclic. The game was based on the concept of time repeating. Cycles. Seiros revolting against Nemesis was mirrored by Edelgard revolting against the Church. Not only that, but the true cause behind both were the Agarthans, and in both times, they got away, at least for the moment. And then there were the endings themselves, representing four seasons. The cycle of change.

"That's it."

The oddities I was experiencing. Why things didn't fit neatly into place… or why some did and others didn't.

"Cycles… a loop. That was what new game plus was. Byleth starting another loop, but carrying over things due to the renown he had built across the timelines. Except this time is different. There's me, breaking the loop. An exception…"

I paused.

Right. I was an exception in all this.

Byleth… well, Beleth and Bellis, or Bylad and Bylass, were a shared existence. Both of them were doomed to repeat the cycle of the four paths. Though the game didn't emphasize it, there were hints that they carried some memories of prior timelines, but had taken a nihilistic view on things.

Those were in the choices the player could determine, the answers they could choose.

Then.

If that was true, that would make me…

That would make me…

"Argh!" I ran my right hand through my hair and sighed. "I'm missing something."

I could feel it. I almost had it. The answer to why I was here.

"This is annoying."

And asking Sothis wouldn't help either. From our talk the other night, she knew something about me. But she couldn't tell me… no, it would harm me if she told me.

I took a deep breath and exhaled.

"…Whatever."

I shouldn't worry about it. Couldn't worry about it. Immediate problems were more pressing than theoretical ones, or mysteries that might be more trouble than they were worth.

For now…

"Just focus on getting to know everyone. And teaching them."

That was what I had to do. No matter what action I planned to take later, the crux of it all was the trust my students had in me, and the trust I placed in them.

The consequence of doing things too early were already shown to me, so I had to relax now. Take it easy.

And the first step to that was to enjoy the nice shower that I hadn't taken in a long-

_BANG._

The door blasted off its hinges and slammed against the sink.

Instincts fired and I spun around, mana crackling in my left hand. I quickly picked up the towel I placed on the ground to use as a makeshift weapon and then turned to face the intruder…

Only to see a certain blonde prince turning a bright shade of red.

"M-My apologies! I reached out to knock and then… That is to say…"

I paused for a moment, thought about what to do… and then decided.

It was too early to deal with this.

I placed my towel back on the ground, closed the curtains, dismissed the mana in my left hand, and then closed my eyes to let the cold water wash over me.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

A bit of elaboration on a few earlier scenes that people pointed out might have needed a bit more explaining. Mostly Sothis showing herself to Jeralt and what happened in the first few Divine Pulses after the cliffhanger. Though, it'd be a bit too easy to give straight answers, so you get this instead.

Mostly a transitional chapter this time to reflect. Next chapter should get back into teaching and school life... probably? We'll see when it happens.

Thanks as always for reading and leaving your input! I hope the chapter was enjoyable, and that the alerts are working properly. I never can tell with FFN...


	21. Bubbling

**Author's Notes:**

FFN still messing up. Not sure why, but it might have to do with uploading twice under 24 hours? Maybe it's to prevent flooding the front page or something. Pretty annoying though... anyway, friendly reminder to read chapter 20 if you haven't yet.

* * *

"I profusely apologize, Byleth. I absolutely had no intention of-"

"It's fine. Accidents happen. And it's not like you can control your Crest, can you?"

"That… is true. However-"

"Relax. It's no big deal. Might want to just call out next time though. It'd be more than a bit awkward if something like that happened and there was a girl on the other side."

Dimitri let out a long sigh and said, "I will remember that, Byleth."

After the awkward scene born from Dimitri's random crest activation, I'd managed to finish my towel and change in to my spare clothes.

The prince had politely picked the door back up and placed it on its hinges while he waited, but the moment I finished he started pouring out the apologies.

That led to the current situation, with me standing in front of the broken door pretending I had nothing to do with it, and Dimitri wringing his hands with worry.

I toweled off my hair, still a bit wet from the shower and said, "So what brings you here this early?"

Dimitri let out a sigh of relief, clearly delighted at the change in conversation. "I usually wake up before the sun rises to practice my combat arts. Afterwards, I come here to take a quick shower before heading to the library to study."

I nodded. "Quite diligent of you." It was the perfect honor student behavior, fitting with his personality. Well, barring the whole dark mental state and all… but that was just a typical graduate student, so it wasn't _that_ bad.

Dimitri smiled. "Thank you for the compliment, Byleth. No, it should be Professor Eisner now, shouldn't it?"

I shook my head and said, "Byleth is fine. I might be a professor, but it's still a bit weird being called Professor Eisner, or Mister Eisner when my dad's around."

Dimitri nodded. "Yes… I suppose that is true."

I tucked my old clothes under my arm along with my towel and said, "Still, waking up at the crack of dawn, huh? That's a bit much even for the house leader, isn't it? Do you get enough sleep like that?"

Dimitri paused, his polite mask slipping just a bit. He quickly shook his head and smiled. "I am fine, Byleth. My body has long become accustomed to my sleep schedule, so there is no need to worry about me."

An evasive answer. It seemed like I still wasn't close enough to get a clear response… not that I expected to.

"More importantly, how are you sleeping?" Dimitri said. "It must be quite the adjustment from being a mercenary to being a professor."

I shrugged. "It's manageable… So far, at least. My answer might change come next week though."

"Ah, yes. The mock battle?" Dimitri nodded. "I suppose that would be something worth worrying about. It has been on my mind recently as well."

"Worried?"

Dimitri laughed. "Of course. Considering the ease with which you dispatched the bandits, how could I not? However, know that we will not fall so easily. Though we lack you as our professor, the Blue Lions will not be an opponent so readily dispatched."

I nodded and said, "I wouldn't have it any other way." Well, I would. Having an easy fight was better than a rough one… but I couldn't say that, could I?

"Nor would I." Dimitri smiled and clenched his fist. "May the best house win, Byleth." He paused and then placed his hand on his chin. "…Byleth. Byleth? Hm… I feel as if I am forgetting something…"

I coughed and quickly changed the topic. It'd be a problem if Dimitri remembered anything and went off the rails so early, so I said, "It's probably nothing important if you can't remember it, right?"

Dimitri frowned. "No, it is… Ah!"

"Now, I just want to say that-"

"I still have yet to repay you, Byleth." He paused and said, "…Wait, you were saying-"

I shook my head. "Don't worry about it. I just thought you were going to mention something else."

Dimitri's frown deepened, but he nodded. "If you say so. Now… yes, I believe I was going to ask you. In lieu of my rather, ahem, rude interruption, I must insist that I do something to compensate you. Is there anything that you require help with, Byleth?"

…This was oddly starting to sound like him trying to take responsibility for some illicit affair.

Considering Claude's actions the other day… maybe 'Byleth' just before this route was female… and maybe the support ranks got bugged?

That was an awkward thought…

"Byleth?" Dimitri stared at me. "Is something the matter?"

Something he could help me with… my first instinct was to refuse. However, this was a chance to improve my relationship with Dimitri and lay the groundwork for other things later on.

Then…

"Actually, I've been meaning to check out the library and look for some strategy books. I want to use them for reference material in my lectures, but I haven't gotten a chance to visit it yet."

Mostly because Tomas, or rather Solon, seemed like he was already suspicious of me and Divine Pulse seemed to carry more risks than I had thought.

"Is that so?" Dimitri smiled. "If that is the case, then I will be glad to help. It just so happens that Ashe and I were planning to visit the library later tonight. It will be a simple matter to keep an eye out for such books in our own search."

I paused. "You're looking through the library?"

"Ah. It is something of a more… personal matter." Dimitri paused. "Hm… as a mercenary you may…" He shook his head. "No. You have enough troubles on your hand at the moment. Perhaps after the mock battle I may come seek your guidance on this matter due to your expertise, but not at the moment."

That was worrying. Dimitri doing research… was he already looking into the Tragedy of Duscur? If so, and if he was looking around the library… it'd be all too easy for him to get misled by Tomas.

Maybe that was what led him down the single-minded notion that Edelgard was responsible for everything? In that case…

I looked at Dimitri and said, "If you need some help, you can ask my dad. He's pretty well connected, so he'd probably be a better source of information than the church."

Also, as a mercenary troop leader familiar and having lived so long, he was much better equipped to deal with Dimitri's issues than I was.

Dimitri frowned. "Captain Jeralt? I wouldn't want to be any trouble-"

"Don't worry about it. He'd probably love having an excuse to avoid his duties anyway."

Dimitri smiled. "I don't believe that's very proper of a Knight of Seiros."

I shrugged and said, "And I'm not a very proper pick for a professor. It runs in the family, I guess."

Dimitri laughed. "Very well. I will keep that in mind, Byleth. Ah, but there is one other thing I wish to ask of you."

"Yes?"

Dimitri frowned and then stared at my clothes. "…Why are you wearing a female uniform?"

* * *

I walked into my room and threw off my clothes.

Sothis flipped a page from the book she was reading and said, "Back already?"

I glared at her. "You could have said that it was a female uniform."

Sothis closed her book and sat up from her place on my bed. "I attempted to. However, you were rather adamant in leaving me behind and left before I could finish speaking."

I let out a long sigh. She was right. I had been in a bit of a rush.

Still!

"If it bothers you so, shall I make adjustments for you?" Sothis tilted her head and stared at the uniform lying on the floor. "After reading a few of these stories, I am quite curious about-"

"No. I've got it."

I didn't want to end up with some embarrassing outfit.

Sothis huffed. "How rude. I will have you know that the outfit I intend to create will not only impress, but awe those who gaze upon it!"

"And from where would I have gotten such wonderful clothing again?"

"Why from your father, obviously! I am sure that he would not mind covering for you in this instance. Barring that, you could say that your fellow mercenaries sent a congratulatory gift."

…That was a pretty good excuse.

"Is it not?" Sothis smiled and lounged on my bed. "Now, will you let me-"

"I'm still modifying it myself."

"Hmph. Very well. If you insist… then I shall return to perusing these stories of yours." Sothis picked up the book she was reading and went back to laying down on my bed, kicking her feet in the air as she read.

I couldn't see the title of the book. The cover was blank, just a simple black leather binding. Maybe it was some sort of omnibus thing. Though why she didn't just recreate a tablet or something-

"That is because the feel of paper against my fingers provides a more pleasant reading experience than swiping upon a glass screen." Sothis shook her head and flipped a page. "Honestly, how your people have become so accustomed to such a strange device baffles me."

I picked up the uniform I placed on the floor and compared it to my old clothes before using a tiny bit of alchemy to adjust it. The result wouldn't be pretty since I didn't really know how clothes were put together, but it'd be wearable, at least…

"Once more, if you would allow me to-"

"I'll be fine. Though, I'd appreciate it if you could ask my dad to tell the others to bring me some spare clothing when they arrived."

Sothis sighed. "Very well. I will keep that in mind… and you must keep in mind how wonderful it is to have such a tolerant goddess as myself."

I lifted up the modified uniform to the sunlight and frowned. The golden dye on the threads had faded to silver, and I'd had to resort to printing the buttons instead of making them functional, but it was better than having awkward baggy areas around my chest.

I shook my head and picked up the tight pants and skirt. "Yes, mother. I appreciate your love and attention very much."

"Ha!" Sothis shook her head. "If I were your mother, this conversation would go quite differently."

I nodded and tried on my pants. Still a bit tight… but manageable. After that, I turned to Sothis and said, "You're right. If you were my mother, I'd probably be slightly unhinged and homicidal."

Sothis turned towards me and raised an eyebrow. "You mean you are not already?"

"Ouch. That's a low blow."

Sothis rolled her eyes and went back to reading. "As if your words did not carry just as much venom."

"At least mine were accurate."

"And mine are not?"

I frowned and folded my old clothes before throwing my coat around my shoulders. "I'll be back later. If you need me, come grab me or something."

"Yes, yes. Go play with the little ones. And do keep out of trouble. You are no longer a child, you know?"

"Whatever you say, Mom."

I rolled my eyes and closed the door behind me.

* * *

It was still early in the morning, and a relaxed one at that. Despite the hiccup with my uniform and Dimitri crashing my pleasant shower, I was in a fairly good mood.

Glancing at the sky told me that there was still a while until I had to head to the classroom. I mostly had the lesson plans memorized as well, so there wasn't any need for me to show up early or anything.

Hm. Maybe that was what Byleth's activity points were. An increased professor level meant more efficient teaching and less need for lecturing. Thus, more free time.

…Which, while a neat epiphany, didn't solve my immediate problem.

"Well, I did want to relax a bit today."

I'd been so caught up in preparing for the future that I hadn't taken the time to actually enjoy myself in this beautiful monastery yet. Or try the delicious looking food in the dining hall for that matter.

I nodded.

That sounded like a plan. Breakfast, with hopefully some coffee. And I hadn't checked out the dining hall yet, so that was killing two birds with one stone.

I started walking. "Now, where was that place again?" From what I remembered, it was in the main building near the south part of the map in the game. You could get to it from the pond area, but there was a way in from the classrooms, wasn't there?

As always, a few students called out to me with good mornings. They weren't any I recognized from the game, but I was starting to remember a few faces here and there. They were the part-time students dropping by for a few months to attend lectures and seminars.

A few knights on patrol greeted me as well.

From the look of things, I guess I was settling in pretty well to the monastery. That, or Byleth had capped charm sometime before I fell into the picture. Maybe I should-

"Byleth? Is that you?"

A female voice called out to me. A bit bubbly and optimistic. Familiar, but not very.

I turned around to see Annette waving at me.

She walked over and said, "I'm surprised to see you up so early!"

"Good morning, Ann…ette?"

I had to pause when I saw how she looked.

Before, she looked the same as she did in the game. Bangs, cute curled twin-tails, and school uniform. But at the moment, she looked different. Her hair was let loose, long and wavy, and it was slightly parted in the middle. Not only that, but she was wearing a cozy looking white cotton dress with a blue ribbon and orange cloak.

In other words, she looked like she should five years from now… only younger.

"Hm?" Annette tilted her head and said, "Is something wrong?"

"No." I shook my head. "Just odd to see you outside your uniform."

Annette laughed and said, "I could say the same about you!" She gave me a once over and said, "The school uniform looks good on you! Though…" She paused and said, "Did you modify it yourself? Not to be mean, but it's kind of…"

"Bad, I know." I sighed. "I forgot to pack spare clothes when I got here so had to make do with what I had."

"It looks like it… was that a female uniform?"

I coughed. "Of course not. Just an ordinary uniform, modified to fit."

"Are you sure? Because those seams look like-"

"Anyway. What brings you out here this early, Annette? Are you training like Dimitri?"

"Hm? Oh, did you meet his Highness on the way here?" Annette frowned and said, "I thought Dedue told him to sleep in today since he was up all night…"

Well, that wasn't foreboding at all.

I nodded and said, "I met him at the bathhouse this morning. He said something about getting back from training?"

Annette huffed and said, "His Highness really needs to learn how to relax. I get that he's royalty and all, but even they need a break sometimes. Right, Byleth?"

"Right."

"Right?" Annette smiled. "Me and Mercie have been planning to help out by making him some treats, but we don't know what he likes. Mercie asked Dedue, but it seems like even he doesn't know what His Highness likes to eat."

Probably because he can't taste anything. But I couldn't say that, so instead I said, "Maybe you should invite him for some tea instead? He seems like a chamomile kind of guy."

It would help him sleep at least…

"Tea, huh? Mm… that's a good idea, but it's a bit forward of us to ask his Highness out for tea, isn't it?" Annette frowned. "I mean, won't it seem like we're trying to court him or something?"

I paused. "You have a point… hm. Maybe I should speed up my plan on inviting people for tea- Wait." I glanced at Annette and said, "Aren't you fine with talking to me?"

"Hm?" Annette tilted her head. "Why would I have a problem talking to you, Byleth?"

"…Did you not get the memo about me being a professor?"

Annette froze. Staring at her, I could almost see the gears in her head grinding to a stop.

"I'm so sorry!" Annette bowed her head and said, "I completely forgot!" She raised her head and said, "It's just… you're so easy to talk to and around our age and-"

I sighed. "This is going to be a recurring thing, huh?" I could already feel it. Whenever I met anyone else from the other houses, I'd probably have the same reaction. Maybe I should have Manuela and Hanneman bring me in for a guest lecture just so I could get that out of the way…

I shook my head and said, "You can relax. It's not like I'm going to be offended by that." I paused. "…Well, I might be if Seteth is around. I don't feel like listening to a lecture about proper etiquette or decorum any time soon."

Annette laughed. "Yeah, he's the type to get really upset over that, isn't he?"

"He is. And you never did answer why you're up so early." Or why she was dressed differently.

"Oh, right!" Annette nodded and said, "I'm just out on my morning walk. It's the best way to start the day! Sunshine, fresh air… it's great!"

"Huh." I stared at Annette and nodded. "I took you for the morning type, but I didn't think you'd be so conscious about your health."

She always seemed like the bookish honor student to me. Seeing her walking about was odd… though I guess that explained her appearance. A little, at least.

"Mmhm! It's something I picked up from my father, actually. He used to always take me out walking with him, so I just got in the habit, I guess… Oh! Do you want to join me? I'm almost done, but it's been a while since we got to talk."

I thought about it for a bit.

Annette… in the long scheme of things, she didn't have too much of an influence on the plot. If I was operating on efficiency, I would be best served meeting someone else or doing something else.

But…

"Sure."

Today was for me to unwind. Plus, I could use some of the positive energy Annette was radiating.

"Great!" Annette smiled and said, "Then, let's go!"

I shook my head at how carefree she was. Still, it was refreshing. A lot better than the serious and chaotic atmosphere of the Black Eagles, at least.

Though… that might have been because of me.

Anyway, Annette.

She started walking on the paved road towards the greenhouse.

I quickly walked beside her, keeping pace. It was… surprisingly fast, though. A brisk walk closer to a jog than a leisurely stroll.

"So, Byleth. Um… I can call you Byleth, right?"

"Of course."

"Great!" Annette smiled and said, "I've been meaning to ask you, but I didn't get a chance to last time since you were busy." She glanced over and said, "Is it true? Did you really delay taking out a bandit just to show off to the others?"

"It wasn't to show off, but to have the others be able to assess their capabilities. Information is important in battle, and the opportunity presented itself."

"But isn't that dangerous?" Annette frowned and said, "Everything I've read said that you shouldn't take battles so lightly. It's one thing to fight and get information, but from what I heard you were almost making fun of the bandit."

I raised an eyebrow. "Did Dimitri mention that?"

"Ah, well… that was from Claude, actually. His Highness mostly just talked about your 'keen intellect' and 'sublime combat arts."

Of course. Claude would be the one to spread that around… though that partially explained why Hubert was so keen on testing me out. That does seem like a bad thing to do when you put it that way.

I shook my head and said, "Well I don't know about a keen intellect, but I guess I can take the sublime combat arts." Byleth learned 'Sublime Heaven' after all.

"Ooh, you're pretty confident, huh?"

"It's not so much confidence as it is assurance. There hasn't been anyone in my memory that I couldn't at least gauge how they fought at a single glance."

"Really?" Annette hummed and said, "Well, what about me?"

"You?"

I glanced at her.

In the game, Annette was good at Reason magic, Axes, and Authority. From what I was seeing… she was the same in real life? I had a vague sense that she was skilled at lances for some reason though...

"Well… you're obviously very studious, so Reason magic is a given. Because of that, you're probably good at Authority too, since gambits are something else that could be studied. In terms of melee combat, I'd say axes and… lances?"

Annette gasped. "Wow! Caspar was right, you really are good at reading people!"

"Wait. You said that 'Caspar' was right? You two know each other?"

"Yeah!" Annette nodded and said, "It's a funny story actually. Nobody in my house uses an axe, so I had to find someone to help teach me. I wanted to ask Professor Jeritza, but he was a bit too scary to approach. Thankfully, Caspar noticed and offered to help. When he heard I wanted to learn how to use an axe, he offered to help me!"

"Huh. I didn't think you students interacted with each other outside of your houses."

It usually took Byleth's intervention, either through shared meals or having them join a mission for that to happen.

"Of course we do! I mean, we're all students here, aren't we? It'd be weird if we didn't."

"Right. It would be."

I shook my head.

Real life, not a game. Gotta keep remembering that. And assumptions end poorly.

For a moment there was a lull in the conversation. Silence, but a comfortable one while we walked.

I took a moment to enjoy the weather. It was nice and sunny out, a fresh cool breeze coming in from the south. Not only that, but I had a cute and bubbly conversation partner by my side.

After a while though, Annette broke the silence.

"You know, I'm glad."

"Hm?"

Annette shook her head and said, "I was worried that you didn't join our house because of something I said. Like maybe I didn't give you the right information or if I said something wrong."

Me? Not join the Blue Lions because of Annette? Maybe because of Sylvain or Felix, but Annette? The bright ball of sunshine?

I reached over and flicked her forehead.

"Ow!" She winced and covered her head. "What was that for?!"

"For being silly. For someone to leave because of you-"

I cut myself off, suddenly remembering Gilbert and how Annette must have felt.

"…Anyway, the reason that I didn't choose the Blue Lions was because the Black Eagles needed me more. Otherwise, I probably would have chosen the Blue Lions."

Annette nodded, but then paused. "Wait. Why would the Black Eagles need you more than we do? Wouldn't all the houses be the same?"

"Mm… not quite. Where your house has people like you, Mercedes, and Ashe to keep everyone level and relaxed, the Black Eagles only has Dorothea. Everyone else is a bit… ah, difficult, shall we say? If Hanneman or Manuela were teaching the Black Eagles, I have a feeling that they would all be a bit 'too' competitive."

"Oh! So that's why you had the barbecue, huh? We were all wondering about that… Ingrid was kind of upset we weren't invited."

I stretched and said, "Well you can tell her and everyone else to look forward to it. I'm planning on a big cookout sometime after our first real mission."

"That sounds great! I'll tell Mercie and we'll start prepping! Ooh, maybe some cookies and cake and… Ah, I think the cooks mentioned something about imported sugar coming in soon. Maybe we can… and then…"

Annette started trailing off, muttering under her breath.

I guess the thought of getting to cook a lot got her excited?

I shook my head and took a look around…

"There you are, young Byleth! I've been looking all over for you."

…And locked eyes with a certain elderly Crest Scholar.

Hanneman smiled and said, "I am glad you are taking the time to get to know the students, but would you mind coming with me for a brief moment? There is something I would like to discuss with you. In private."

Well… there went my plans of relaxing for the day.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

A bit of an experimental chapter. Thought I'd try to get a feel for some other characters... though it seems like things keep revolving to something happening in the background.

Still, hope it was enjoyable regardless.

Thanks for reading and for your input, as always! Hopefully FFN will properly show my updates next time... though I've a feeling that it'll be a running thing with the updates being delayed or non-existent...


	22. Surface

**Author's Note:**

This time isn't FFN messing up. My brother needed help with something the other day, so I didn't have time to write. I would have uploaded something to notify, but it'd feel weird having just a chapter be a note. Because of that, this chapter is a bit short too. I'll see if I can get another out later today. If not, maybe tomorrow will be a bit longer to make up for it.

* * *

Hanneman's office was about what you would expect from a physics professor. Well, other than the fact that it was only down the hall from the Archbishop's private quarters, but that was neither here nor there.

The room itself was small.

There was a chalkboard against the back wall, covering over half of it. On that board, sketches of various Crests were scribble all over, along with arrows and connecting certain lines together.

Piles of books, forming small towers, were scattered everywhere around the floor, leaving little room to walk.

In the back corner of the room, there was a desk, presumably for Hanneman to write notes and do paperwork. However, with how many scribbled crests and papers were scattered across its surface, I doubted much of that managed to get done. Or if it did, it'd be a herculean effort to find them all again.

The most striking part of the room, however, was the weird machine sitting in the center of the room. It was a large hemisphere, like half of a globe, made of a translucent green material and placed on top of a black box with over a dozen different levers, buttons, and dials.

By process of elimination, I guessed that it was the crest analyzer? Though how that managed to work by a person placing their hand over it, I couldn't begin to fathom. From the vague emanations of mana rippling from it, it seemed like it might work kind of like how an x-ray did, the waves bouncing off of the bones that it couldn't penetrate. Still…

"Are you curious?" Hanneman's voice echoed from behind me. He walked into the room after me and closed the door.

I nodded. "A little bit. Is this that crest analyzer you mentioned last time?"

Hanneman's eyes lit up and he adjusted his monocle, a smile on his face. "Indeed. That is my greatest work, the culmination of my countless years analyzing crests. By simply placing your hand over it, the device is capable of projecting whatever crest the user might possess into the air."

I leaned over to get a better look and nodded. "It seems complicated."

Now that I was closer, I could see sparkling golden lines, almost like circuitry, running across the surface of the globe. There were even a few silver dots, like solder, connecting bits together.

Hanneman glanced at me and said, "Hm… When I think about it, we have yet to determine whether the power of a Crest resides within you. I believe we mentioned it in our last discussion, but ran out of time before proceeding to do so."

I paused for a bit and then said, "You're right."

Byleth would usually have done that… what, the second day? I'd somehow pushed the scene back another day in the midst of everything else.

Hanneman waved his hand towards the device and said, "Would you like to see if you do? Won't hurt a bit, I promise."

"What should happen if I don't?"

Hanneman laughed. "Considering your lineage and abilities, the odds of you not possessing a Crest are… well, should such an unlikely phenomenon occur, the device will simply not function. …Ah, are you afraid of this information spreading?"

I nodded. "A bit. What if I've got something blasphemous or odd?"

"Blasphemous?" Hanneman shook his head. "Crests are power incarnate. That can be for good or for evil, but power in itself is neither. Furthermore… I understand that this may be unfamiliar to one such as yourself who grew outside the influence of the Church of Seiros, but Crests are held in… quite high esteem by the people of Fodlan."

His eyes dimmed a bit when he mentioned that, and I caught a glimpse of regret and anger flicker through them. However, they quickly faded, replaced by his usual wizened composure.

"Regardless, even should you possess something as miraculous as the Crest of Flames, be assured that it would be something celebrated rather than disdained. And should the case be that you lack a Crest, well, nothing would change, would it?"

"True."

"Then, if you would." Hanneman gestured towards the Crest Analyzer again. "…I must admit, I am curious if you possess the same Crest as your father. A major Crest of Seiros, has been unseen since the time of the first Adrestrian Emperor. For Jeralt to possess it… well, this will be an interesting result."

I straightened and started to hold out my right hand… and then paused.

I wonder… would it pick up the artificial magic crest I made?

"Is something the matter?"

"No." I shook my head and then held out my left hand. "Just being a bit cautious."

Hanneman frowned. "I assure you that the process is completely-"

_Crackle._

Sparks started blooming from the Crest Analyzer, scattering in every direction like a broken circuit. At the same time, chaotic mana fluctuations rippled from the machine and sent papers flying throughout the room.

Hanneman's eyes widened and he ran over to the Crest Analyzer. "This… By the goddess!" He started adjusting the levers and dials, trying to get it under control.

It was doing something. I felt the fluctuations calm down for a bit. However, it was the same as pouring a cup of water on a forest fire: completely ineffectual.

This couldn't keep going. I didn't know what was happening, but I knew it wasn't a good result.

I tried pulling my left arm back. But I couldn't. Whether because of a weird resonance or the device's fluctuations, instead of moving back, I found myself being drawn to the machine.

At the same time, Crests began flickering over the top of the hemisphere.

Seiros, Indech, Lamine.

Blaiddyd, Fraldarius, Dominic.

Riegan, Goneril, The Beast.

Cethleann, Cichol, Gloucester, Charon…

The Crest of Flames.

Hanneman's eyes widened when he saw the flickering Crests. "Those are…?" He shook his head and then looked at his device. "What in the Goddess's name is happening here?"

"You tell me!"

I shouted, breaking character for once, and tried wrenching my hand away by force. I placed my right hand over my left wrist and tugged. Yet, the moment I grabbed my wrist, the force pulling me in amplified and I was sent tumbling towards the Crest Analyzer.

"Byleth!" Hanneman stood up and tried to catch me, but I was moving too fast and knocked him over.

I winced, expecting the device to shatter from the force of my body falling on it. Yet, that event never came to pass.

My left hand fell onto the surface of the Crest Analyzer, and then everything stopped.

The papers that were sent flying in the air slowly fluttered to the ground.

Hanneman let out a sigh and pushed himself to his feet. "It would appear the phenomenon is complete. Are you alright, Byleth?"

I didn't respond. I was too engrossed by what I was seeing on the Crest Analyzer.

When I fell, my left hand had landed directly in the center of the hemisphere. The moment it did, the projections of the other Crests had vanished, snuffed out like a projector being unplugged. But that didn't mean the device had stopped responding.

A glowing ring of pure white light enclosed the circumference of the sphere. But that wasn't all. Two lines, just as brilliant as the one encircling the device, ran along the surface, dividing it perfectly in four. A cross within a circle.

I recognized that symbol, that 'Crest'. But it wasn't one from Fodlan or the game. Rather-

_CRACK._

Before I could think about it further, fractures began forming along the surface of the Crest Analyzer, spreading from the cross. At the same time, the crests I had seen began to show up again.

In red: Seiros, Indech, Lamine.

In blue: Blaiddyd, Fraldarius, Dominic.

In gold: Riegan, Goneril, The Beast.

In silver: Cethleann, Cichol, Gloucester, Charon.

And finally, in blinding emerald light, the Crest of Flames.

My eyes widened and I instinctively wrenched my hand back. Thankfully, it seemed like the attractive force drawing me forward had vanished. Because of that, I managed to get free, stumbling backwards until I crashed against the wall.

At the same time, there was a soft 'puff' sound coming from the Crest Analyzer.

When I glanced over, I saw that the hemisphere had completely crumbled, leaving only the black box beneath it, covered in white powder. Powder that formed a circle and a cross inscribed within it.

For a moment, it was silent with only the sound of fluttering paper.

Hanneman adjusted his monocle and said, "Well… that was quite unexpected."

* * *

I didn't know what surprised me more. The fact that Hanneman managed to clean everything up in a few minutes, or the fact that nobody even came by to question the ruckus.

Judging from the lack of concerned colleagues bursting through the door of Hanneman's office, I could only assume that things like what I'd just experienced were regular occurrences for the monastery.

And considering just how close we were to Rhea's room as well… I guess that the Archbishop either really supported Hanneman's efforts in figuring out the true nature of Crests, probably to bring back Sothis for good, or that even she had just given up on being bothered by the Crest Scholar's antics.

…I was starting to lean towards the latter.

Hanneman shuffled the last bits of paper together and placed it on his desk. "There we are." He turned towards me and said, "A rather exciting way to begin the day, is it not?"

I shook my left arm, still a bit numb from the previous event. "You can say that again. I'd rather have a cup of coffee instead though."

Hanneman gave me a wry smile and pulled out two chairs. "I'll remember that, Byleth." He slid one over towards me.

I grabbed the offered chair and sat down. When I did, I raised an eyebrow and said, "What happened to 'young Byleth'?"

Hanneman sat down across from me and shook his head. "A minor slip up. It can be hard at times to remember for an elderly man as myself."

"You're not that old, Hanneman." He was only in his… what, fifties at this time, right?

He smiled and said, "No need to placate me, Byleth. I am well aware of my age… even more so after this." He waved towards the ruined Crest Analyzer and sighed. "Once again, I am reminded of just how far there is left to go along the path of Crestology." He shook his head and said, "Were it possible for me to return to my youth yet again… I fear that I might not live to see my dream come to fruition."

"Dream?" I frowned. Hanneman had a dream? I knew he didn't like the current state of Crests being entrenched in the power structure of Fodlan, but I didn't know much else.

"Ah." Hanneman shook his head. "Forgive me, Byleth. Think of it as nothing more than an elderly man's musings." He laughed. "It is strange. When speaking with you I feel as if I am speaking with an old friend… But we've gotten away from the reason why I brought you here."

"Hm? Wasn't it to see what my Crest was?" I thought that was the whole point of dragging me aside… but come to think of it, he mentioned that he had something to discuss, not test. Right?

"Not quite. Truthfully, I wished to speak with you about your thoughts on the books I lent you."

Books… ah, the anthology of all the crests and their explanations. "They've been helpful in explaining things… but I've got more questions than answers."

"Oh?" Hanneman's eyes lit up. "Do tell! I will do my best to provide an answer… assuming of course it does not deal with the fiasco of the Crest Analyzer. I will have to run diagnostics before providing you with answers on that."

"Right. So after reading the books, I had a few hypotheses that I wanted to run by you."

Hanneman reached over to grab some papers and a pencil to write with before nodding. "Go on."

"Crests are the manifestations of power, correct?"

Hanneman nodded. "Yes. The blessings of the Goddess given physical form, carried through bloodlines. There is still the unsolved question of why it does not always pass down to descendants, but… Ah, forgive me." He shook his head and said, "You should already know this from reading my notes."

I frowned and said, "Why is it the blood?"

"Pardon?"

I crossed my leg and placed my right hand on my chin. "If it's power incarnate, why is it only in the blood? Shouldn't there be a way to solidify it in another medium?"

Hanneman sighed. "Alas, that is the greatest mystery of all. Even with my years of research, the most that I could determine is that a divine miracle of sorts is responsible for it."

A divine miracle? But that couldn't be right, otherwise it'd be impossible to graft crests to people who don't have any…

I heard a gasp.

I looked up to see Hanneman staring at me, his eyes unusually serious.

"…Did I say that last part out loud?"

"Yes." Hanneman straightened, his eyes sharp and piercing. "What do you mean by 'grafting crests'? And where did you hear of such a thing."

"I…"

Another slip up. Time for a Divine Pulse…? No. This conversation was one that had to happen sooner or later. And Hanneman… he was a bit eccentric, but he was trustworthy. He also wasn't too attached to the church, considering that he joined Edelgard if you didn't recruit him.

Then…

I glanced around the room and then got up to grab a piece of paper as well. I pulled out a pencil from my pocket and then started writing. At the same time I said, "That's weird… what did I just say?"

Hanneman gave me a strange look and started to speak.

Before he could, I discreetly held up my paper, along with sending out a disruptive pulse just in case.

_Dangerous secret. Secure location?_

Hanneman's eyes widened and then he sighed. "Perhaps you've been a bit stressed, Byleth. How have your lesson preparations gone, if I may ask?"

Despite saying those, he scribbled out something on his notes and tapped at it.

_Should I cast Silence on the surroundings?_

I scratched the back of my head with my left hand and said, "Not very well. I'm a bit worried if I'm capable of teaching everyone. And… actually, is there a way to keep this conversation quiet? I've got an embarrassing problem I need help with."

With my right hand, I wrote something else.

_Not yet. Answer first, then cast._

Hanneman nodded. "Well, I'm all ears, Byleth. As your fellow colleague, I'd be glad to help you. And if you're worried about this being public… allow me to alleviate your concerns." The Crest Scholar stood up and said, "Ward. Silence."

Glyphs lit up the room, surrounding the area in light.

Hanneman waited for a bit, carefully examining the surroundings, and then he nodded. "There." He turned to me and said, "Will this suffice, Byleth?"

"One moment." I closed my eyes to get a feel for the flow of mana in the air. While Hanneman's spells were solid and cast with a firm foundation, there were still a few loopholes.

I reached out with my left arm, linking with the flow of mana, and tied up the loose threads.

Hanneman's eyes widened. "That… is quite the impressive skill you possess, Byleth."

I lowered my arm, ignoring the stabbing pain, and nodded. "You pick up a lot of things as a mercenary." A half-truth, but useful excuse. One I'd probably be using a lot more in the future.

Hanneman stared at his casted spells and slowly nodded. "It would appear so."

I picked up the pieces of paper that we wrote on and ignited them. After that, I turned to Hanneman.

…This would be another ripple. A stone cast in the river of Fate. The outcome of this was unknown… but judging from how things were already diverging and how I had been pushed into this situation, it seemed like Fate wasn't content with me just sitting around.

Maybe I was wrong about this. Maybe this would be an even bigger mistake than showing off my skills to my students. However… if I was right. If this allowed Edelgard to see that there could be a way to end this without resorting to drastic measures, then…

"Tell me, Hanneman. What would you say if I told you that the Crests were not given by the Goddess, but stolen from her and her children?"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

More decision making by 'Byleth'. Whether it's poor or not, we'll have to see. His flip-floppy stance on abiding to and diverging from canon is also interesting.

Thanks as always for reading and your input. It's a bit shorter, but I hope it was still enjoyable.

Until next time... which will be tomorrow for sure, but maybe later today. We'll see.


	23. Reason and Faith

Hanneman frowned. "Do you mean to imply that the Church of Seiros is lying to its believers?"

I shook my head. "Not quite a lie. More like… omitting key facts." Well, other than rebranding Nemesis and his followers as fallen from grace than active traitors.

Hanneman's frown deepened. "You will have to forgive me if I find this hard to believe, Byleth." He sat down on his chair and said, "The Church of Seiros… while I must admit that they are not quite as immaculate as they would like their followers to believe, for them to disguise the truth behind the origins of the Crests… It is difficult to reconcile."

I nodded. That was true. It was like telling someone that the original sin was not humans stealing the fruit of knowledge, but that they were given it and someone twisted the narrative to paint us in a bad light.

"It is. However… ponder this. If the Crests were blessings and truly given, why do most of the Crest weapons devour one without a Crest and turn them into a demonic beast?"

Hanneman frowned. "That is a simple rejection process, is it not? An incompatibility between user and weapon. Or, as the Church would have us believe, the consequence for reaching towards power when you are unworthy. Moreover, the weapons of the four Saints do not have such a consequence."

He had a point. It seemed like it would take more than just that to convince Hanneman.

"True. But have you considered the difference between the weapons of the four Saints and those of the Elites?"

"The difference…?" Hanneman muttered.

I walked over to the board and picked up a piece of chalk. "Yes, the difference." Saying that, I started sketching the Crest weapons in the book that Hanneman gave me along with their associated crests.

Yet again, the trusty Venn-Diagram came into play here. On the left circle, I drew the crests of the Ten Elites and rough sketches of their corresponding weapons. On the right, those of the four Saints. Then, over the middle, I drew the Sword of the Creator and the Crest of Flames.

Hanneman's eyes widened and he gave a hum of appreciation. "That is a useful visual aid, Byleth. Did you come up with it?"

"Another thing I picked up as a mercenary."

Hanneman shook his head and said, "You must be quite well-traveled then." He stared at the diagram again and said, "I have never seen such a thing. The most similar construct would be in my study of Reason magic and its glyphs, however-"

I started writing on the board.

In the left circle: bone, eerie atmosphere, ten elites.

In the right circle: refined, divine atmosphere, four saints.

In the middle: bone, divine atmosphere, the Progenitor God.

Hanneman's eyes flicked to the words I wrote and then the pictures I drew. As they did, the frown on his face deepened. "This…?"

I dropped the chalk and turned back to face Hanneman. "You said it yourself, didn't you? Crests are power incarnate, bestowed by and passed down through blood. In that case… what are the corresponding weapons?"

I tapped the left circle and said, "The Crests of the Ten Elites and their weapons. These are all made of bone."

I tapped the right circle and said, "The Crests of the Four Saints and _their_ weapons. These are made with refined materials that suit proper divine weapons."

I tapped the middle, specifically the Sword of the Creator and said, "As for this… it is bone, yet sacred. The texts would have us believe it was bestowed by the goddess herself… but look at it properly."

Hanneman did and shook his head. "I can see what you are trying to show, Byleth. However, I have already considered this."

"You have?"

Hanneman nodded. "This difference was one I was intrigued about when I first had access to the sacred armaments." He tapped at each weapon and said, "You are correct in that these are bone. By referencing anatomy diagrams of animal and human alike, I have also determined that the bones used to forge these could not be given without ending the life of those that possessed them. Furthermore…" He tapped at the Sword of the Creator and said, "This is especially true here. These bones can only be vertebrae, forged and honed into lethal blades."

I was surprised. "You already considered it?" I guess I had underestimated Hanneman.

"Indeed. This line of questioning was one I immediately pursued upon my tenure here. However…"

"However?"

Hanneman sighed. "It is a dead end. Despite the differences between the material used to forge the armaments, as well as the lack of consequence on using the weapons of the four Saints, there are none in the corresponding crests themselves.

"…That doesn't make sense."

The Crest of Flames and the Ten Elites were taken while those of the Four Saints were freely given. The resentment should have carried over-

Ah.

"Then what of the Crest Stones?"

Hanneman frowned. "The Crest Stones?"

I nodded and said, "The Crests are power incarnate… then what of the Crest Stones? And why do the weapons of the Saints lack them?"

"Is it not obvious? The Sword of the Creator and the weapons of the Ten Elites were forged with the sacrifices of Her and her children. Nemesis, the King of Liberation, later fell due to such power and turned his blade against the Goddess's people." Hanneman shrugged and cleaned his monocle. "A simple and clean tale, is it not?"

"Simple and clean, huh?"

The true story behind it was anything but. Still, Hanneman was right. This wasn't enough to convince them… then…

"History aside, what does this have to do with your knowledge of grafting Crests?" Hanneman turned to look at me and said, "You have yet to explain yourself, Byleth. Furthermore…" He turned around to look at the ruined Crest Analyzer and said, "I believe you know more of that phenomenon than you let on. Do you not?"

I paused, wracking my mind for an answer.

I knew the truth of it all. Or… as close to the truth as possible given the limitations of the game.

However… I couldn't just lay all that on.

Proof. Evidence.

I needed that to convince Hanneman. He was a man of logic, not faith. Reason, not belief.

Then…

I sighed. "I didn't really want to show this if I didn't have to."

"Hm?"

I held out my left hand, palm raised. Similar to an act that Edelgard had done in the game and focused.

My left arm was still numb by whatever had happened with the Crest Analyzer. Yet, as I focused on my mana, specifically on the warmth spreading from the Crest Stone in my chest, it heated up.

Hanneman's eyes widened. "The Crest of Flames? Not only that, but a major one as well?" He turned to look at me and shook his head. "Impossible… unless?"

I could see the gears clearly turning in Hanneman's head.

"Your father possesses a major Crest of Seiros. You possess the major Crest of Flames." He frowned and placed his hand on his chin. "Both Nemesis and Lady Seiros were said to leave no descendants. This can be seen in how the Crest of Seiros has only surfaced in the Imperial bloodline and how the Crest of Flames has never resurfaced. However… could it be that they shared a child? And that their child became a hidden bloodline bearing both crests?"

That… was quite a jump. A reasonable one, but not correct.

I shook my head and said, "Good guess, but wrong."

Hanneman frowned. "I do not understand. It is the simplest solution."

"Yes. But the simplest solution is not always the truth." I closed my hand, dismissing the Crest of Flames.

This avenue could work. It would be a longshot, but…

"You never answered me. What are Crest Stones?"

"Hm?" Hanneman paused.

"If Crests are power incarnate, carried through the blood… what are Crest Stones?"

"That is another unanswered question." Hanneman sighed. "Particularly when access to them are so restricted. The most that I have been able to determine is that they are an auxiliary source of power, one amplified when in possession of the matching Crest. Also, one that is discerning, refusing to allow non-Crest bearers to use them."

I nodded. "In weapons yes. But what of in living beings?"

Hanneman blinked. "Pardon?"

"I give this question to you, Hanneman. Rather than amplifiers, what if Crest Stones are the origins of their corresponding Crests?"

"The origins…?" Hanneman paused. "That is an interesting conjecture. Indeed, I have considered that as well. Yet…" He shook his head. "It does not work. Crests are bound to blood, an indisputable fact."

"Is it though?"

Hanneman nodded. "Of course."

"Then… would you happen to have a sample of a Crest nearby?"

A hypothesis that I had. And, judging from how the Crest Analyzer had reacted to my own Crest, one that could be the missing piece.

Hanneman nodded, and then he frowned. "I do. However, I would not wish to betray the confidence of those that entrusted it with me." He paused and said, "Why do you ask?"

"I'm about to show you something that will overturn your entire world."

It should be possible. The game had them as items, and so it should be possible for me to recreate them.

Hanneman hummed. "You do not appear to be boasting… very well." He walked over to his desk and pulled out a vial, a knife, and a vulnerary. "While I cannot lend you the blood of others, I have no qualms of sharing my own." He lit a small flame to sterilize his knife and then cut the edge of his thumb. After that, he let blood drip from the wound into the vial. When about a few milliliters had fallen, he stoppered the vial and poured the vulnerary on his cut.

Everything was done smoothly and efficiently. Something that could only have come from someone who had done that countless times before.

It seemed like Hanneman's willingness to pursue the study of Crests knew no bounds, especially when it came to his own life.

The scholar offered the vial to me and said, "I trust this will suffice?"

I took it, holding the vial in my left hand, and nodded. "It will."

At the same time that I grabbed the vial, I focused on the emanations of mana coming from it. The pattern that it possessed.

While I could see traces of Hanneman's own mana in there, it was dwarfed by another, more ancient mana. A pattern that reminded me of a towering mountain, an immovable strength.

A pattern and strength that I could replicate.

Slowly, so as not to overload my artificial crest, I drew in the mana from the blood. Sifting out Hanneman's, I focused on that ancient mana, the immovable strength.

My left arm burned. Soon, that burn changed to the sensation of prickling needles, then knives piercing deep into my bones.

But I focused, carefully, diligently.

Sectioning off a portion of my nerves, focusing the pattern to form there, replicating the ancient mana itself.

In response to my actions, a light slowly began to form over the middle of my left arm, a symbol slowly sketching out in the air.

Hanneman's eyes grew wide. "That is…?"

A final loop, one last cycle. And then it was complete.

The light crystallized into the Crest of Indech, and I felt my skin burn. To confirm it, I took off my coat and rolled up my sleeves. There, on my skin, the Crest of Indech shone, glowing with soft emerald light.

Hanneman stepped forward and grabbed my arm. "This is impossible." He stared at it and shook his head before running back to his desk. From it, he pulled a small device that looked like a scanner.

Without asking me, he ran it along my left arm.

While a bit rude, I didn't mind.

The device made a soft beep and then showed the Crest of Indech as well.

Hanneman's eyes grew wide and he shook his head before grabbing my right arm, running the device along it. That time, it didn't beep, coming up blank in the display.

Hanneman shook his head again and stepped back. "This… this is unbelievable? The Crest of Indech… and from the readings…" He quickly ran the device along his own arm. Again, there was a soft beep and the Crest of Indech showed up on the display again. Yet, it was faint, washed out.

"…Stable. More so than my own." Hanneman looked up at me, his eyes wide in disbelief. "You… Byleth. What did you do?"

"I-"

Suddenly, I felt the nerves in my left arm run haywire. I winced and quickly purged the mana from it. At the same time, the Crest of Indech dimmed, fading to a barely visible mark against my left arm. Still, a mark it remained. Though mana wasn't coursing through it, I had a feeling I could activate it again just by following the pattern it left behind.

I shook my left arm, ignoring the tingling sensation left behind, and then looked at Hanneman. "Before I explain… tell me, Hanneman. I know you're a specialist on Crests, but you must know something about mana as well."

Hanneman nodded. "I do. I often read the publications of my peers researching the arcane arts." He paused before his eyes widened in realization. "…Do not tell me that Crests are simply mana?"

I smiled. "Right in one."

Hanneman walked over and sat down in his chair. He ran his hand through his hair and said, "Impossible. Such a thing… no. If this was true, then everything makes sense. Tendencies towards certain element are passed down between parents as well, often resurging across generations. It echoes that of Crests…" He shook his head. "How could I have been so blind? In that case, Crests are merely another expression of one's mana. No, perhaps in the case of the Crests, they are an amalgamation. The power of the Goddess's children blended with the normal affinities of humans… Yes. If it is like that then…"

…Huh. I had to give him credit where credit was due. With that small clue, Hanneman completely unraveled the theory I was planning to give to him… though I didn't know that affinities were passed on as well. I guess that explained how each student had different elemental magic.

Hanneman grabbed a piece of paper and quickly began writing notes.

I was silent, waiting for him to finish.

After what I guessed to be around half an hour, he set his pencil down and looked to me.

"Byleth."

"Yes?"

"How did you do it? No, how did you prove it?" He shook his head. "This hypothesis… in hindsight, it is obvious. Yet, it was untestable until now. There were no means to test if Crests were solely mana. If they were, it would have been possible to imbue them in a weapon, and yet they were not."

Hanneman stood up and started pacing. "People can channel and imbue their affinities into weapons. Forge elemental blade, spears, axes. Bind them into tomes for the less skilled to take advantage of. And yet Crests… they have only ever been seen in blood. Attempts to replicate them, to transfer them… they have all failed." He turned to me and said, "How were you able to bypass this hurdle? This wall? Is it the Crest of Flames?"

I shook my head. "No. This is… well, I guess you could call it my own talent? Separate from the Crests… perhaps a mutation. An aberration." I lifted my hand and then tugged at the threads of mana making up the sigils around us. Where I tugged, some dimmed and some grew brighter.

Hanneman's eyes widened. "You… you can see mana."

I smile again. "It's great to talk with someone smart. You don't really have to explain as much."

He shook his head. "Impossible. Such a feat cannot be done by humans. By mortals. Time and time again… legend speaks of those who tried and failed. An impossibility as certain as resurrecting the dead. Yet…" Hanneman took off his monocle and looked at me. Really looked at me. "Byleth… are you human?"

That question again.

Who are you? What are you?

For a split second, I caught sight of Edelgard's betrayed face. Seeing the shock in Hanneman's eyes, I froze.

A mistake. This time too-

"No." Hanneman shook his head. "You need not answer. Rather than human… yes. You possess the Crest of Flames and speak of the Crests being stolen."

I blinked. This… did Hanneman believe me?

He placed his hand on his chin and said, "This, coupled with your ability to see mana and manipulate it at will… and then your sheltered upbringing along with the Archbishop's eagerness to hire you and Jeralt's overprotectiveness…" Hanneman glanced at me again and then laughed. "How silly. To think that I, a man of Reason who had rejected the Divine, would come face to face with the incarnation of the Progenitor Goddess herself… no. I suppose in this case, it would be the incarnation of the Progenitor God, would it not?"

I was quiet, still in shock at Hanneman's chain of deductions. It wasn't completely right. He was mistaken on the reason why my dad hid me away and that I was the incarnation of Sothis. But he hit the main points. Not only that, but he believed them too. I could see it in the certainty of his gaze.

"Well? Am I correct, Byleth?"

I shook my head. "I really underestimated you. I guess that the title of being the Father of Crestology isn't without merit."

Hanneman smiled. "I am honored."

"Hm… well, you have the important stuff right. And I'm assuming you believe me?"

Hanneman nodded. "It is the most logical explanation… despite its seeming irrationality."

"Good. That's… good?"

I was still in disbelief. Was this the effect of Byleth's natural charm, the shared bond he had with Hanneman, or simply the objective truth winning out?

I wasn't sure, but I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. I wouldn't question what I was given when I had been thinking it wouldn't work at all.

Hanneman shook his head. "I dare not question your intent nor why you chose now of all times to descend upon the world. However… however. I must ask." He stared at me, desperation, determination, and hope flickering in his eyes. "Do you intend on changing this world where a person's worth depends on the presence or absence of a Crest?"

"If I didn't, would I be here?"

Hanneman let out a grateful smile and then said, "Good. Then… I am at your disposal, Byleth. Tell me, what it is you require of me and I shall help."

Another ally. An unexpected one at that.

Maybe… maybe this would work after all.

Ah, but before that…

"Actually, the bit about an embarrassing problem I have wasn't completely a lie…"

"Hm?"

"You see, I still don't know how to teach my class properly or prepare for the overall lectures for the coming week…"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hanneman is too smart for his own good. I wrote this going in thinking he'd be easily convinced, but he really wasn't. And then he ups and guesses everything... huh. Well, I guess we'll see how things go from here.

Anyway, thanks for reading and your input as always.

On a side note, the Crest Byleth saw is not the Smash Logo. In hindsight though, that probably would have been a funny twist. Might do a fun what-if on that sometime if I remember.

Thanks again, and I hope it was an enjoyable chapter.


	24. Cause and Effect

Yet again, I left Hanneman's office with an armful of notes and books. The sun was starting to rise higher in the sky, showing that a few hours had passed since Hanneman had dragged me away to have a talk.

Stepping outside of the main hall of the monastery, I noticed that there was a soft breeze. A pleasant start to the morning, even better than when I first got up.

I shook my head and then headed on my way to the Black Eagles classroom.

The problem that I wanted to talk with Hanneman mainly consisted of concrete lecture plans and seminars. Though the office hour and sort of independent study plan I laid out worked in the game and seemed to be working for now, I wanted to be more than just a tutor. After all, that wouldn't work in the long run. Well, maybe Rhea would allow it, but assuming that everything managed to get resolved beyond the war, it'd be good to have a backup plan down. And being a professor was a lot more peaceful than a mercenary… even if I might be good at it.

Thankfully, Hanneman was more than grateful to provide me with help on that end. He gave a direct copy of his upcoming week's schedule and notes.

I felt a bit guilty about that, but Hanneman insisted that it was fine. He also muttered that he'd probably be doing the same with Manuela in a few days anyway.

To repay Hanneman though, and also to get him started on things that might be helpful soon, I told him about the possibility of Crest Sigils as well as writing down the mana signature of the Crest of Indech. I also told him about the conjectures I had regarding multiple Crests reducing lifespan by creating an irregular mana signature in their wielder, as well as a means to potentially compensate that by introducing a stabilizing circuit, similar to my own.

Obviously, the Crest Scholar was grateful and eager to delve into what I presented… after insisting a vial of blood from me.

I rubbed my left arm, now sore from more than just being overused, but also from getting blood drawn. Not the best feeling in the world, but at least this was progress. Another divergence that could lead to that golden ending I wanted.

"Hopefully," I muttered and then shook my head. "What's done is done. And right now, I need to focus on other things."

Like the lesson plans for the day.

I made my way carefully across the courtyard to the Black Eagles classroom. It was difficult, considering the fact that the pile I was carrying towered over my head, blocking most of my view, but manageable due to my ability to sense mana.

Again, another point in my favor for making that artificial magic crest. And Sothis said it wasn't helpful-

"Professor?"

I jumped, almost dropping the books and papers I was carrying. Before they fell, a hand reached out to steady me.

I sighed and then turned towards the speaker.

Ferdinand lowered his hand and said, "My apologies. I was merely surprised to see you out so early and with such a burden. Speaking of which, would you like my aid? I presume these are to be placed in our classroom?"

"…Sure. I guess I could use some help."

Considering that I almost dropped them all, maybe I was taking on a bit too much.

I leaned over and said, "Grab about half from the top, would you?"

"Of course."

Like that, the load I had was cut in half, allowing me to properly see where I was going. Though… how did Ferdinand sneak up on me? I was sure that there wasn't anyone walking around me.

Ferdinand's eyes widened after he picked up his part of the books. "This is… quite heavier than I anticipated." He looked to me and said, "You are taking your role as our Professor quite seriously."

I nodded. "Obviously. I have to put in at least this much effort to not disappoint you guys."

Ferdinand smiled. "Is that so? Then I must work even harder to match your resolve!"

Bright optimism. Some might have called Ferdinand arrogant because of that, but it was refreshing and assuring.

We started walking towards the Black Eagles classroom. Ferdinand took position at my right side, completely natural. Despite being prideful about his nobility, he was also well-mannered, something that showed in that small action.

After walking for a bit, I said, "So what brings you over here so early, Ferdinand? Trying to get the drop on Edelgard?"

Ferdinand frowned. "The drop on… Ah. You mean to ask if I am here to forestall Edelgard's early arrival?" He shook his head. "While the idea came to mind… I instead wished to have a private conversation with you."

"With me?"

I wracked my mind to think of why that might be the case. The most I could think of would be questions about the combat notes I gave him, but as eager as he was about improvement, I didn't think he'd go out of his way to bother me about that.

"Yes." Ferdinand sighed and said, "I cannot help but feel as if I might have given you the wrong impression over the past few days."

"Hm?" The wrong impression? He seemed the same as always to me…

Ferdinand shook his head and said, "I am speaking of my interactions with Hubert." He paused and said, "We have a… complicated relationship. Both of us wish to stand beside Edelgard but we have diverging ideas about the best method to do so."

"That's what you're worried about?" I shook my head and said, "You're fine. I might not have known you very long…" Face to face, at least. "…But I can feel that you're a good person. And from interacting with Hubert, I get the feeling that he somewhat brings out the darker side in people."

Especially Edelgard. A loyal follower willing to not only die but commit murder, assassinations, and whatever was necessary to pave a path for her in blood wasn't exactly the most healthy thing for a girl suffering from traumatic experiences and bitter disillusionment.

Ferdinand laughed. "I do not wish to speak ill of my peers… but I will not disagree with you on your assessment, Professor."

"Was that all?" It seemed like a lot of effort just for an apology. There were about… well, judging from the sun, two hours left before I said I'd have open office hours in the classroom.

"That was my primary point of discussion, but there was something else."

I nodded and said, "Shoot."

"Shoot? Why would- Ah, you mean to go ahead and speak."

I frowned. "Sorry about that. I keep forgetting that people might not understand the phrases I use…"

Again, differences in culture. Gotta remember to keep that in check… especially around Petra. Wouldn't want her to get even more confused with some idioms that didn't quite transfer over.

Ferdinand shook his head. "I do not mind, Professor, and I am sure the others do not as well. After all, you have already shown us your willingness to act in our best interests."

I felt a stab of guilt at that when I remembered how I turned back time just to erase my mistakes. "…Do I really?"

Ferdinand gestured towards the books and said, "If you did not, would you arrive at our classroom so early with these many books and notes?"

"I suppose." I shook my head. It wouldn't do to wallow in doubt now. "Anyway, what were you planning to ask me?"

"That… Well, I was merely curious about your opinion of me."

"My opinion of you? Didn't I make that clear already?"

Ferdinand shook his head. "I do not mean merely as a person but- Ah, allow me."

We reached the classroom door. Before I could reach out to open it, Ferdinand walked ahead and pulled it open.

"Thanks."

"You are most welcome."

I walked in the room with Ferdinand trailing behind me.

"But as I was mentioning," Ferdinand said. "I wished to know your thoughts of me. My capabilities, my potential… An honest assessment, if you would."

I placed my notes at the foot of my podium.

Hm… I should probably invest in a desk at some point. The room was clearly meant for me to mostly present lectures, thus leaving only the podium for me and my lecture notes, but it'd be nice to have a place to sit down in a professional fashion while being accessible to the students.

It was a bit too awkward to ask them to meet me in my room, and asking for an office like Hanneman's was too close to Rhea for my comfort, even if she didn't seem that bad.

Ferdinand walked over and placed the books he was carrying beside what I just placed down, and then took a few steps back to look at me.

I stared back and then placed my hand on my chin. "An honest assessment, huh?"

Ferdinand nodded. "Yes. The notes you gave me are extensive, but I would still like to hear it directly from you."

"Well…" I leaned back against the blackboard behind the podium and crossed my arms. "To be honest, I'm not sure."

Ferdinand blinked and then said, "You… are not sure?"

I nodded. "That's right. Hm… give me a moment."

From what I remembered, the notes I gave him to work on emphasized heavy armor training because that was his hidden potential in the game. It'd also give the class a proper armor unit later, since I intended to make Edelgard specialize in magic and swords rather than armor.

Well, assuming she cooperated. After all, from how she devastated the bandits with a blade, she was clearly skilled in it.

But Ferdinand… hm. He didn't really have any weaknesses, did he? I didn't remember him having any, at least…

"He does not." A familiar female voice, youthful but wise. And also completely unexpected.

Sothis.

The goddess materialized on my podium and smiled. "Impressive. You managed to remain calm."

As a goddess that can manipulate time, I expected you to have better timing than this, Sothis.

She shrugged. "It was tiresome waiting for you to return. Furthermore, your father is out on a mission with the Knights of Seiros, so I decided to see what you were doing. Also, congratulations on convincing the scholar to follow your cause."

You were watching? Why didn't you… no. First of all, I have to answer Ferdinand.

I ignored Sothis for the moment and focused my attention back on Ferdinand.

He sighed. "I knew it. So I am still lacking."

"No. That's not it."

Ferdinand shook his head. "There is no need to comfort me, Professor. This only means-"

"Like I said, that's not it." I pushed myself off the blackboard. "If anything, you have too much."

Ferdinand blinked. "I… have too much?"

Sothis hummed, quietly watching me from the side. It'd be nice if she wasn't so distracting… still, it was good practice for paying attention to multiple things at once. That'd be a great help when real battle started.

The goddess smiled. "Quite bright of you to realize that. I suppose you haven't become _completely_ short-sighted in recent days."

Anyway, Ferdinand.

The heir to house Aegir frowned. "I… do not understand, Professor."

"It's pretty straightforward. You have no weaknesses." I shrugged. "I don't know if that's your natural talent, your hard work, or a combination of both. Still, it makes it hard for me to place you in a clear niche."

Ferdinand clenched his fist and raised it. "Yes! So my efforts have not been in vain!" He paused and then quickly coughed and lowered his hand. "…Pardon me, Professor. It is just… I am thrilled to hear such praise coming from you. Others have said the same, but for such words to come from a famous mercenary as yourself… it is quite reassuring."

"I guess? But were you really that worried about it?" It was weird. Ferdinand was confident and self-assured… well, at least until the time skip. But at this time, he shouldn't be doubtful, should he?

Sothis hopped off the podium and said, "If events had followed the natural flow of time, this would be true. However… a certain nameless spirit has been acting up quite a bit recently, has he not?"

I frowned.

Then this is…

"Because of you, yes." She hummed and said, "There is much we must discuss when you are finished here. But for now, pay attention to your dear student." Sothis frowned and said, "…I have a feeling it is important."

After a long silence, Ferdinand sighed and shook his head. "No. In truth, I have something else to ask, Professor. Something that I have been concerned about recently." He looked up at me and said, "Tell me, Professor. What is your opinion of Edelgard?"

"Skilled, head-strong, naïve, and too stubborn to reach out for help?"

Sothis giggled, and that made me realize I'd spoken without thinking.

I paused and glanced at the door. At the same time, I triple-checked to make sure there wasn't anyone hiding. That done, I turned back to Ferdinand and said, "None of what I said leaves this room, understand?"

Ferdinand placed his right hand on his chin and muttered, "So that is how you see her?" He shook his head and said, "I am surprised. From your interactions with her, I would have thought you would be biased in your assessment." He paused and said, "Ah. I did not mean to slight you, however-"

Sothis laughed again. "How amusing! Even one as dense as the arrogant one can see how you favor the princess."

Quiet you.

"-It was surprising to see your intimacy with Edelgard," Ferdinand continued. "And how she allows it as well." He shook his head. "But I digress." He looked back at me and said, "Since you have seen as much, my concerns will not fall upon deaf ears. You see, Professor… recently Edelgard has been different."

I frowned. "How so?"

Ferdinand glanced at the door. "Might I…?"

"Go ahead."

"Thank you, Professor." He walked over and closed it before walking back. That done, he moved in closer and lowered his voice.

"As the heir to House Aegir… as well as the son of the one who greatly wronged Lady Edelgard, there is much I must atone for. Because of that, I have done my best to ensure that I am skilled enough to both provide aid to Lady Edelgard and guide her along a proper path rather than a dark course of revenge."

I blinked. "That's… quite heavy information, Ferdinand." And a lot more personal than I thought he'd be comfortable sharing after… what, two days of me teaching everyone? And teaching in the loose sense of the word as well.

Ferdinand frowned. "I must admit this is a bit forward… and in truth, I know not if you are the best person to tell. However, I have no one else to turn to." He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Despite my efforts, Edelgard sees me as a mere nuisance rather than a trusted companion. The only one she holds in any level of esteem is Hubert. That is… until you."

"Me?"

Ferdinand nodded. "Yes. You." He sighed and said, "You would not know it as you are a stepped removed from the student body, but Edelgard speaks of you often. No, over all she has spoken more often. A feat that neither I, nor any of our peers has accomplished." He shook his head and said, "Before you, Edelgard had become more distant from us all. Myself, Dorothea, Linhardt, Caspar… we have all known Edelgard for many years. Yet, as those years passed, she grew more distant, more aloof."

I was quiet, processing that latest bit of information.

Sothis, surprisingly, was quiet as well.

"…And you're telling me this because?"

Ferdinand frowned. "Perhaps I am mistaken. It may simply be the natural course of Edelgard creating distance to prepare for her role as the future Emperor. However, as the future prime minister of the Adrestrian Empire, I cannot afford to risk allowing her Emperor to traverse the wrong path. And this is where you come in, Professor."

I shook my head. "I don't quite follow." Or rather, I did, but… I wasn't sure if I was right.

"Help me. I know not whether Edelgard trusts in you because of your skill, your reputation, or out of gratitude, but that trust is true. True and deep, a bond far deeper than one she shares with any of us." Ferdinand looked regretful. "Were I alone suited to guide her, I would not come to you. However, that is not the case."

I was quiet. Ferdinand was… surprisingly thoughtful. And perceptive as well… at least more than he was in the game. No, maybe he had realized it already at the time.

Edelgard would not take him seriously, so he doubled down on that and instead sparked up a one-sided rivalry, forcing Edelgard to pay attention instead. Not the attention he wanted, perhaps, but enough to maybe build up a foundation for later.

And, if he achieved an A Rank Support with Edelgard, it did, allowing him to ensure Edelgard never took too extreme a view in her rule.

"…I take back my words, Ferdinand."

"Hm?" Ferdinand looked confused.

I shook my head and said, "You do have a niche. A clear strength among your many talents."

The ability to bring out the best in people. Something that should have been present in Byleth, but that I lacked.

Before Ferdinand could respond, I shook my head and said, "There's more, isn't it? You said you had no one else to turn to."

"…Ah. Yes." Ferdinand nodded. "Recently, while she and Hubert have been discreet about it, I have noticed the two sneaking out of the monastery at night. Moreover, Edelgard has been sending more letters than usual. She has said that it is to assure her uncle, Lord Arundel, that she is adjusting well at the monastery… but I know Lord Arundel. He is not one to be concerned of Edelgard's well-being… at least not in recent years."

I frowned.

From the sound of things… did that mean something big was going to go down soon?

Sothis hummed. "So _that_ is what is going on."

What? You know what he's talking about?

"…A suspicion. If it holds true, it would seem that the 'mock battle' will not be the first battle your class experiences."

That-

Ferdinand shook his head and said, "I know not what Edelgard is involved in. However, I fear that it may have dire consequences if left unchecked." He looked to me and said, "Professor. I implore you- no, I beg you. Please ensure that Edelgard does not fall onto the path of darkness. There is no one else."

Ferdinand bowed his head.

It was… How could I put it? Wrong. For Ferdinand to be so worried and pleading. Like the sun being blocked out.

"Raise your head, Ferd."

He instinctively straightened at that name. "Professor! My name is Ferdinand von Aegir!"

I smiled.

He paused on seeing my expression and then sighed. "Perhaps it is I who has given you too little credit, Professor. You know us well, despite such short time spent together."

"That I do. And because of that… Well, I won't say not to worry since this is definitely something to worry about. However… I will say to trust me. No matter what happens or what crazy scheme Edelgard's planning, I'll make sure everything turns out alright."

Ferdinand was quiet. "…It is strange. Were it any other person, I would find it hard to believe. But you, Professor… Hm. It is like speaking to an old friend. One that I can trust with my life." He frowned. "How odd."

"I'm honored, Ferd." Honored, but also concerned. Why-

A burning on my left arm.

Sothis gasped. "That- Byleth! What have you done?"

Hell if I know!

I quickly grabbed my left arm, covering the spot where I felt the pain. When I did, I realized that the heat wasn't just mental, but tangible.

That didn't go unnoticed by Ferdinand. "Professor? What is wrong?"

I made a show of rolling my left shoulder, suppressing the wince I had as the pain hit me, and said, "Just a bit stiff. Anyway, I just remembered that I forgot something in my room. I'll be back soon, so stay here to keep an eye out for me, would you?"

Ferdinand looked like he didn't quite believe me, but Byleth's poker face paid off again and he said, "Very well, Professor. I, Ferdinand von Aegir, will not disappoint you!"

"Thank Ferd. Be right back."

Still grabbing my left arm, I opened the door and ran out of the classroom, racing back to my room as fast as I could before my sleeve caught fire. Which, judging from the smell of burning skin, wouldn't be very long.

Sothis flew at my side. She looked concerned, but at the same time, vindicated.

…I still think that my artificial magic crest was a good idea.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Huh. I just realized how often circle imagery is coming up when I write. From the time loops to the 'Crest' to the Venn-Diagrams… Funny how that works out.

Also, finally inching back towards the plot. Things are going to ramp up… fairly soon? Maybe? Hopefully? I think a few guns I left lying around might start getting put to use starting next chapter… but as always, we'll see. This story seems to fight against me doing what I want, so I'll be as surprised as you all will be later.

Anyway, thanks for reading and your input as always. Hope it was enjoyable, and see you in the next.


	25. Knowing and Believing

I ran into my room and shut the door behind me. After that, I threw my coat to cover the window and then looked at my left arm.

Like I thought, it was burning. A symbol was being seared into my very skin. No, not a symbol, but a Crest. More importantly though was where it was showing up.

"What is going on…?"

With Hanneman, I had managed to replicate the Crest of Indech, inscribing it in my nerves and memorizing the mana signature. But that was intentional, deliberate. Yet now…

Sothis floated towards me and stopped next to my left arm. She stared at it and then said, "That is the Crest of Cichol."

"It is. But more importantly, it's overlapping the Crest of Indech."

My gamble in Hanneman's office had resulted in the Crest of Indech being burned into me, leaving its pattern behind. And yet now, overlaying it, the Crest of Cichol had been burned into my skin.

It wasn't as vivid, a slight discoloration like a suntan, but against my pale skin, it might as well have been ink.

The burning sensation stopped, leaving the Crest of Cichol in its place. Yet, while it didn't burn any more, like with the Crest of Indech, I had the feeling that I could use it if I traced out the pattern it left behind.

I shook my head and glanced towards Sothis. "Any idea what's going on?"

"…It is strange," Sothis muttered. "The flow of time has warped around your left arm."

"Wait, what?"

"Hm." Sothis placed her right hand over where the crests had burned into my arm. Golden light shone around her fingers before washing away. After that, Sothis said, "A miracle- no, an aberration. Your reckless creation of an artificial crest seems to have evolved in a ridiculous direction that even I cannot discern."

I picked up my shirt and put it back on. "Even you're stumped, huh? Then I guess this is a good thing, right?"

If it's a power that even Sothis didn't know about, it could be just the ace I needed to defy Fate.

"No."

…Or so I thought. But Sothis immediately dashed that idea.

She sighed and said, "That arm of yours goes beyond the providence of the world. If your knowledge was enough to press Fate into acting against you, then now you will face heavenly tribulation."

"That bad, huh?"

"Do not be so nonchalant about this! Such an event is not one to take lightly!"

I rolled my left arm, checking to make sure nothing else was wrong with it. Seeing that it was fine except for being a bit numb, I turned to Sothis and said, "Well we can just Divine Pulse then, right?"

"Did you not heed what I just said? Not only has time warped around your left arm, but it is beginning reach beyond the providence of the world! Defying the very laws I placed down to maintain order!"

"Well you're here, aren't you? Surely an almighty Goddess like yourself can handle a bit of heavenly wrath."

"You…!" Sothis shook her head. "Fine. Fine! This… Do not come whining to me like a child when your reckoning comes. I have warned you."

I walked over to my desk to grab my journal, something to disguise the reason I ran back to my room. "It's already too late to do anything about it, right? So there's nothing I can do except keep an eye out… like everything else."

"That…" Sothis sighed. "I suppose you are correct. Still, you must be wary. Were you a true god, this would not be an issue. Yet, despite your knowledge and otherworldly nature, you are still a mortal. A mortal bearing the powers of a god, yes, but a mortal nonetheless."

I nodded. That made sense… while Sothis was the Progenitor God, supposedly at least, we were still separate. Inhabiting the same body, yes, but separate.

"I'll remember to keep that in mind."

"So long as you do."

After taking a sweep around my room, I grabbed my coat and left again, heading back to the Black Eagles classroom.

* * *

The first thing I heard when I entered the courtyard in front of the classrooms was Ferdinand's voice.

"Are you certain that there is nothing I can do?"

"For the last time, Ferdinand, I'm fine! And even if I did have questions, that's Professor Byleth's job to answer, not yours. Unless you don't think that us commoners can figure things out on our own?"

And that was Dorothea's.

It seemed like the two weren't on very good terms yet. Dorothea was probably still mistaken about Ferdinand's first reaction to seeing her… I should probably do something about that at some point.

"Well," Sothis said. "If that is your desire, I believe the best thing would be to approach the classroom rather than eavesdropping."

True.

I walked over to the Black Eagles classroom, moving within eyesight of the doorway.

Dorothea was standing with her back to the front door. Ferdinand stood where I had left him, next to the podium and staring out the entrance.

"That is not…" Ferdinand sighed and shook his head. When he did, he noticed me standing there. "Ah, Professor! Did you find what you were looking for?"

I held up my journal and nodded. "Thanks for holding down the fort, Ferdinand. And good morning, Dorothea."

"O-Oh! Professor!" Dorothea turned around, a faint blush on her face. "I didn't see you there."

I tucked my journal under my arm and walked over to the podium. "Good to see that my stealth skills haven't degraded. I'd been worried about that these past few days."

Sothis scoffed. "You mean the skills that allowed you to be detected by Solon and almost gave everything away?"

Hey, that was your fault!

"Perhaps… but perhaps you should be paying attention to your dear students rather than me?"

Dorothea brushed her hair back and said, "I hope you don't mind me arriving a bit early. I was hoping we could have a… private lesson." She frowned and glanced at Ferdinand. "Or so I thought. But I didn't expect Ferdinand to be here."

"Ferd and I were just having a heart-to-heart about his grades, so you don't need to worry about him."

Ferdinand frowned. "Professor. As much as I respect and trust you and your judgment, again, I must insist that you call me by my full name."

Dorothea laughed. "Ferd? That's a good one, Professor. I would have gone with Ferdie myself, but…"

"Ferdie?!"

I cut in before the situation could get any worse and said, "By the way, Dorothea, do you have the time? You said you were a bit early, so I'm guessing it's almost the time I said I'd be opening my office hours?"

"The time? Sure." Dorothea reached into her uniform, making a deliberate show of running her hands along her chest. "Now where was my pocket watch…? Ah, here it is." She pulled out an intricate silver pocket watch, etched with a rose. "It's about… a quarter til ten."

I decided it was best to ignore her flirty actions and focus on the information instead. "A quarter til ten, huh?"

Dorothea nodded. "That's right. Like I said, I got here a bit early because I wanted a private lesson… but a certain bee is in the way." She frowned and glared at Ferdinand.

He threw his hands up in the air and shook his head.

Sothis floated over back to her place on my podium and said, "Those two argue as much as your colleagues do."

Colleagues? Oh, right. Manuela and Hanneman.

Sothis tilted her head. "Should you not do something about it?"

Eh… it's just some unresolved sexual tension or something. I'll sort it out a bit later by locking them in a closet or something during clean up duty.

"…Are you trying to live up to Byleth's title of the Ashen Demon? That is quite the wicked idea."

I shrugged and then turned my attention to Dorothea. "I did say I'd have _open_ office hours." Mostly because I wanted to avoid that exact situation Dorothea was trying to engineer. I had a vague feeling it would put me in a sticky situation, literally and figuratively.

Dorothea sighed and said, "That's true… and here I was hoping to spend some private time with you, Professor." She glanced back at me, doing her best puppy eyes, and said, "Maybe we can have tea later?"

I walked over to the nearest desk and sat down. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Dorothea frowned and then sighed before walking over. When she did, I noticed that she was carrying a notebook under her left arm. "I had a few questions about the notes you gave me about my potential combat focus."

Dorothea pulled out a chair and sat across from me before placing her notebook on the table, opening to a blank page.

I nodded. "Alright. Was I not clear in my explanations, or…?"

Dorothea shook her head. "It's not that. I can understand why you want me to focus on Reason magic, but Faith magic…" She frowned and said, "I'm not a very faithful person, Professor. It… has never been my strong point. Yet… you think I can do it?"

I nodded. "Of course you can. Despite the name, Faith magic is just a type of magic."

Ferdinand walked over and took a seat nearby. "Careful, Professor. I do not think the clergymen would appreciate you speaking so callously about their specialty."

I waved my hand. "It's fine. It's not like they'll execute me for something as small as that."

Now, siding with Edelgard though…

Ferdinand nodded. "I am only looking out for your interests, Professor. Were you a mere commoner or a mercenary like before it would not be much of an issue, but now you are-"

"A professor of the esteemed Officers Academy. I know. I got the speech from Seteth already."

"Then I shall not waste your time." Ferdinand turned to Dorothea and said, "However… Dorothea. You are having trouble with Faith magic? In that case, I may be of assistance."

Dorothea scoffed and crossed her arms. "What would a noble like you know about Faith? And don't tell me it's all about praying to the goddess and her divine powers for salvation, because I don't buy it."

I resisted the urge to nod. After all, the only one with that right at this time was me.

Sothis chimed in and said, "You had best not forget that, Byleth."

Love you too, Sothis.

Ferdinand shook his head. "Of course not. Such a thing… while I do not dare demean those who blindly follow the teachings of the goddess, it is not true Faith. And like our professor has said, it is not necessary for Faith magic."

"Oh?" Dorothea leaned back and stared at Ferdinand. "Then enlighten me, Ferdinand."

Ferdinand turned to look at me. "Do you mind, Professor?"

"Go ahead. I'm curious to hear your answer as well."

Ferdinand nodded. "Then… Dorothea. What do you think faith is?"

"Belief in the goddess, obviously."

Ferdinand nodded. "That is a form of faith, yes. But not the only one. For myself, while I believe in Her ultimate plans and guidance, I also have faith in smaller things. My country, my actions as a noble, and my companions. As a result…" Ferdinand held up his hand. A few golden glyphs formed around it, and then a small barrier materialized. "Even I can do this much."

"Huh." Dorothea paused and said, "I didn't expect that from you, Ferdie." She shook her head and then turned to me. "And what about you, Professor? What do you believe in?"

Now that was a loaded question. A sure means to start plenty of fights back on Earth… and probably here too. Though more in the whole ex-communication or execution sense.

The obvious answer was Sothis… or rather, the Goddess. But it wasn't completely true either.

Then…

"Who said anything about beliefs having to do with Faith?"

"Huh?" Dorothea blinked, clearly confused. "I… don't understand?"

Ferdinand tilted his head and said, "Nor do I, Professor. Would you care to enlighten us?"

Er. Didn't think that one through all the way.

Well… Faith magic was just having complete trust or confidence in something, right? In that case…

"You two are confusing Faith and Belief. While they aren't necessarily separate, they're still distinct. You don't need to believe something to have faith in it, and you can believe something without having faith."

Ferdinand shook his head. "That is sophistry, Professor."

"Hear me out, Ferd." I paused for a bit to gather my thoughts… or rather, to quickly improvise an explanation and said, "To have Faith in something means that you place complete trust in it. That, no matter what happens, you trust that thing to pull through. But believing in something is different."

Dorothea hummed and said, "I'm listening…"

Good. It seemed like this was making some sort of sense…

In my peripheral vision, I saw Sothis sigh and shake her head. "Again, your ability to spin such an elaborate tale continues to amaze me. Perhaps instead of Ashen Demon, your title should be Silver Devil for your words."

I ignored her and focused.

Let's see…

"When you believe something, you accept it as true. There's no trust involved, simple complete acceptance. It's… the opposite, in a way. Rather than giving away your trust, you are taking in the belief. In another way… Faith carries a bit of hope with it. You don't know for sure that something will happen, but you trust in it anyway knowing that it might not come true. But to believe in something means that you accept it entirely without question."

I paused.

That… actually, that explained a lot.

Edelgard didn't have any faith and operated purely on reason. On her beliefs. She had lost hope and any trust in the church and goddess. In her fellow people as well… which was why she walked forward alone.

Byleth gave her back that faith when he sided with her… no, when he first reached out his hand to save her. A simple act of pure sentiment, no logic involved. That was the tipping factor in her being able to retain her humanity in the Crimson Flower route.

Dimitri was Edelgard's foil. He had faith in his fellow people, trusted them completely. He was too empathetic, leading him to be haunted by the voices of the ones who died for him.

When Edelgard was revealed to be the Flame Emperor, he snapped. His faith had shattered and he fell back on his beliefs, that he _had_ to get her head and hang it from the gates of Enbarr. That she was responsible for the Tragedy of Duscur, and that he had to appease the voices of the dead.

Like with Dimitri, Byleth gave him faith… but Dimitri couldn't accept that faith until Rodrigue shattered his belief that he had to appease the voices of the dead. That they died not because of him, but for what _they_ believed in.

As for Claude, he had both faith and belief. Faith that the world could change for the better. Belief in his comrades to move like he expected him to… which was why he was so heartbroken when Hilda refuses to retreat and Byleth executes him.

…I could also examine Rhea under Faith and Belief too. She didn't have any faith in humans, or maybe the Agarthans. Instead, she believed that her mother, that Sothis was the answer to everything. Still believed in it. But when she was captured, that belief was forced to turn into faith. Faith that Byleth would pull through for her. Faith that she would be rescued.

Ferdinand looked surprised. "I… had never considered it like that." He shook his head and said, "You continue to surprise me, Professor."

"I try." Well, when it didn't involve something too incredulous and led to me being thought of as not human and potentially dangerous.

Dorothea was quiet. She tilted her head, lost in thought. After a while, she said, "Trust, huh? That… makes sense. People trust in the Goddess to save them, and so they save themselves. Then, if I trust…"

"Dorothea?"

She shook her head and then smiled. "I think I get it now, Professor." She held up her hand and said, "Faith… Have a little faith. So I just need to have a little trust, right? Then…"

A tiny flash of light. Golden glyphs materialized around Dorothea's hand as well before a soft white light formed.

"I did it!"

I nodded, pretending to have expected such an outcome the entire time. Yet again, I was thankful for Byleth's poker face. "See?" I said. "I told you that you could do it."

"And it was simple, was it not?" Ferdinand said.

Dorothea glanced at Ferdinand and then sighed. "Thanks, Ferdie."

"Any time, Dorothea."

She nodded and then turned back to me. "…You know, Professor. You never did answer my question about what you believe in."

"Yes," Sothis said. "Do tell, Byleth. What is it that you believe in?"

Not you, obviously. You've been kind of a letdown recently with how much trouble I've gotten into. It's no wonder why people like Dorothea don't really have faith in you.

"How rude! I will have you know that I am very much capable of accomplishing every miracle that is spoken of in the teachings. I am merely… limited at the moment."

So much for an omnipotent and omniscient being, huh?

"Hmph. You should be thankful! Were that truly the case, you would not be able of communicating with me. After all, one cannot contain the infinite in a finite body."

There's an entire school of thought back in my world that completely contradicts that… but sure.

And now to answer Dorothea…

"I guess if there's anything I believe in, it's the power of choice."

Dorothea blinked and said, "Choice?"

I nodded. "Good and evil. Gods, demons… none of that matters. Faith and belief too. The greatest power we possess is not magic, or even the fragments of the divine left in the Crests, but rather the ability to choose the paths we take."

Dorothea and Ferdinand were quiet after hearing my words. However, a certain tiny goddess wasn't.

"…Delusional. Absolutely delusional." Sothis shook her head.

Am I wrong?

"You are not… however, to think that in the first place… is it arrogance, or wisdom, I wonder?"

I frowned and started to answer when I heard voices at the door.

"Argh… I won't lose next time, Linhardt! With Prof's notes, I'll beat you!"

"I don't know about that, Caspar… Height advantage is hard to overcome. Also, you owe me lunch now."

"Tch!"

Caspar and Linhardt walked in the room.

Dorothea immediately turned around. "Really, you two? The first thing you do when you walk in is argue?"

Ferdinand had a complicated look on his face. He looked like he wanted to call Dorothea out on that, but it seemed he decided against it.

Good choice.

Caspar frowned. "It's Linhardt's fault! I totally could have won! If that Felix guy hadn't butted in, I would have sent him flying across the training ground!"

Linhardt yawned and said, "Wouldn't your dad have been able to beat both of us?"

"Well, yeah. But that's my dad! You know how strong he is!"

"And yet my dad still beats him."

"Come on, Linhardt! Not this again… I'm telling you, my dad-"

I coughed and waved at the pair. "Morning Caspar, Linhardt."

Caspar glanced at me and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, Prof. Got a bit too worked up. It's just… your notes were great! I never thought about ducking and weaving when fighting!"

Linhardt sighed. "Like father like son…"

"Hey! Might makes right! Who need to dodge when you can just blow them away?"

"You can't blow them away if you never hit them, Caspar." Linhardt yawned and took a seat near the front row. "Anyway, I'm going to sleep. Wake me when the lesson starts, mmkay?"

"Hey! We're not done-"

Dorothea crossed her arms and said, "Caspar. Drop it."

"You're not my mom, Dorothea!"

"No, but I can tell Edelgard." Dorothea paused and said, "Well, I guess she's kind of the mom of the Black Eagles… but anyway, I might not be able to tell your mom, but I'm more than sure that Edie would be all too happy to pass on a message from her dear friend."

"Argh!" Caspar ran his hand through his hair and took a seat next to Linhardt. "You win this time, Dorothea!"

It was getting a bit rowdy, so I got out of my chair and made my way back to the podium.

Just then, Petra showed up. She took one look around the room and, seeing the racket, gasped. She quickly pulled out a pocket watch and glanced at the time. "Did I have misunderstanding of the time class begins?"

I waved at her and said, "You're fine, Petra. Come on in."

Petra let out a sigh of relief. "I am gladdened." She walked over to me and said, "Then are you taking questions still, Professor?"

"Sure. Let's grab a seat in the back. It won't be much quieter, but it'll be something, at least…"

* * *

After answering Petra's questions, it was a round robin free-for-all session. Sometime during that, Bernadetta managed to sneak in the room. Then, a few minutes before noon, Edelgard and Hubert walked in.

At exactly noon, the familiar sound of the bell from the game chimed throughout Garreg Mach, the Fire Emblem theme song a la bell.

And then it was time for class. Real class. A proper lecture.

I stood in front of the room at the podium and stared at everyone. To say that I wasn't nervous would be a lie… but it was easier than expected. Maybe Byleth's Professor Level was carrying over too, considering everything else that seemed to be carrying over.

Well, the fact that Sothis was still sitting on the podium and casually staring out at all the Black Eagles helped calm me down too.

"Alright class. Since we're all here and got the questions out of the way, we'll be going over what to do for the mock battle. I know I talked a bit about it last time, but this time we'll be going over logistics and ironing out the details."

There was silence, everyone listening with rapt attention.

Good. I didn't know what I'd do if there was a question in the middle of my lecture.

"As you all know, the mock battle is going to be a free for all between the three houses. But, as it's just a mock battle, we won't have that big a field to have the skirmish. Because of that, we also will only have five representatives from each house along with the professors. Now, obviously the house leaders are required to attend, but the other spots are mostly voluntary. So… any volunteers?"

Caspar jumped up from his seat and said, "Put me in there, Prof! I'll blow them away!"

Linhardt yawned. "Sit down, Caspar. There's no need to jump and yell."

Caspar flushed and he quickly sat down. "Ah, right. Sorry. But I mean it, Prof! You won't be disappointed having me in the field!"

"Alright." I turned to the chalkboard and wrote down Caspar's name. "There's one… three more."

Ferdinand raised his hand and said, "I am willing to fight for the honor of the Black Eagles, Professor!"

I nodded. "Got it. Next?"

Bernadetta buried her head behind book and said, "Can we volunteer to not go? I really, _really_ don't want to fight, Professor."

Hubert sighed and said, "Miss Varley. You cannot run from all your problems."

"Eek!" She flinched at Hubert's words and pulled up her hood to hide away.

Hubert shook his head and then turned his attention towards me. "Well, unlike Miss Varley, I _do_ wish to fight. It would be unproper for me to leave Lady Edelgard alone to fight on the frontlines, would it not?"

Edelgard shook her head. "I think that you should sit this one out, Hubert."

Hubert placed a hand on his chest. "I'm hurt, Lady Edelgard. Do you doubt my capabilities?"

"If anything, I think you're _too _capable." She paused. "Then again, we will be facing Claude and it would tarnish the name of the Black Eagles if we lost…"

"Exactly." Hubert nodded and then turned to face me. "Well, Professor?"

"…I kind of agree with Edelgard on you being overkill." Mostly since he was the likeliest one out of all of us to accidently off someone in the fight… but Edelgard made a fair point about Claude being a dangerous opponent. "But alright."

I wrote down Ferdinand and Hubert beneath Caspar. "Then… one person left. Since Bernadetta and Linhardt clearly don't want to fight, it's between Petra and Dorothea."

Petra nodded and said, "I am eager to be trying Dimitri and the Blue Lions in the mock battle!"

Dorothea shook her head and said, "I think you mean trying out Dimitri and the Blue Lions… no, that's still a bit awkward."

Petra tilted her head and looked at Dorothea. "Am I saying a wrong thing, Dorothea?"

"Not quite, just… never mind." The former idol sighed and turned towards me. "Petra can have the spot, Professor. I'm still not confident in my skills yet to fight a big battle. Sparring I can do, but a mock battle…"

"Alright. Then we have our roster."

I wrote down Petra's name to finish up the team.

Edelgard, Caspar, Ferdinand, Hubert, and Petra. Me too, of course.

I paused and stared at the names.

…Something about this was off, but I couldn't remember why.

"Maybe it is the lack of your trusty Venn-Diagram?" Sothis said.

No, it wasn't that… Well, I'd think about it later. If it was something important, there was still Divine Pulse at the end of the day.

I turned back to the class and said, "With that settled, let's go over the terrain. There's one week left and, as you all know, I'm not great at tactics. Still, I can at least give you the general layout of things so you aren't surprised."

My memory was a bit fuzzy, but if I remembered right, for the Black Eagles we would start on the south side with the Golden Deer on the left and the Blue Lions on the right.

I started drawing, making sure to label all the three houses and their start positions. When I finished, Dorothea called out. "Professor?"

I turned around and said, "Yes, Dorothea?"

"Won't we be at a disadvantage? If we start there, it'd be easy for us to suffer a pincer attack, wouldn't it?"

Hubert laughed. "There's no need to concern yourself with that, Dorothea. Rather, such an event will be all the better in showing Lady Edelgard's might."

Dorothea frowned.

Edelgard spoke up. "I understand your concerns, Dorothea. However, I have faith in the Professor's plans… and in our house." Edelgard turned towards me and said, "Furthermore… you would not have chosen this location without a proper cause, would you?"

I nodded and said, "That's absolutely right."

Sothis coughed. "Liar."

Shut up! I'm thinking!

The goddess rolled her eyes and then materialized a book to read.

After wracking my brain for a bit, I said, "While the mock battle is a way to showcase the skills of each house, it'll also be my personal showcase for the Archbishop. A delayed interview, if you would. As a result, I chose a position best suited for my role in this fight."

Edelgard nodded. "And that would be?"

I drew a circle at the front of our formation on the board and said, "Vanguard. Unlike the other professors who will be taking a more passive role, I'll be active and fighting alongside all of you."

Caspar jumped out of his chair and pumped his fist in the air. "Yes! We finally get to see Prof in action!"

Dorothea nodded and said, "Ooh, that'll be interesting!" She looked at me and said, "Edie's been telling us all about how skilled you are, and with how insightful you've been giving us pointer… I'm looking forward to it!"

Hubert turned towards me and smiled, an expression that didn't reach his eyes. "Indeed. I hope you will not disappoint us, Professor."

"Don't worry. It'd be bad if I got showed up by students, so I'll be putting in the extra hours training too over the next week too." And by that, I meant hanging out at the training ground with a journal and pretending to slowly take notes on my own fighting style.

"Anyway… that's mostly it for the theory part of class." Mostly because I had nothing else planned. "For the rest of class, we'll be heading out for practical applications. Since there's only a week, we won't have much time to practice tactics and strategy, but we _do_ have enough time to get familiar with each other's fighting styles and the terrain."

…Right Sothis? The mock battle location isn't reserved or occupied today, right?

The goddess yawned and flipped a page. "It is not. Hanneman has given his students the day off after your revelations while Manuela and her students are in the chapel singing hymns."

I nodded and said, "Grab your things, some food, and then meet me at the south gate in half an hour. Class dismissed."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

This ballooned more than expected. I was planning to get to the proper training battle this time, but I guess that'll have to wait til tomorrow. Also, no, I didn't mean actual guns last time. I was referring to Chekhov guns, stuff planted early on to fire later.

Anyway, not much to say? I think I had a lot earlier, but writing everything kind of made me lose my train of thought on that...

Well, I hope this is enjoyable to read.

Thanks as always for reading and your input.


	26. Loading

A large open field at the foot of the Oghma mountains, about an hour's walk down from the monastery. That was where the mock battle would take place in a week's time as well as where we would be practicing today.

We arrived on the south side of the field, the open grassy area like it was in the game. In the distance, I could see the blockaded forest and fortress on the left, as well as where the other fortress on the east where the Blue Lions would be coming from. Not far away from us though, there was a forest we could take advantage of as well.

I shook my head and then turned around to look at my students.

Despite the long walk, everyone seemed ready to go. Even Linhardt, who I would have expected to fall over from exhaustion, seemed at least half-awake.

I brought along a wagon to carry our supplies, led by a brown horse suggested by the stablemaster. Within that wagon, I'd brought over water, some sandwiches, vulneraries, training weapons, and a few iron ones just in case. Not that we'd be sparring with those, of course.

Edelgard walked close to me and surveyed the surroundings. "So this is to be our field of engagement, is it?"

Hubert noted the forest along the Golden Deer side and said, "Plenty of terrain for subterfuge." He noticed the forest closest to us and said, "A tactic that we may put to use as well, I see."

Bernadetta moaned. "Why do I have to come out? I'm not fighting, right? Can't I just stay back home in my room?"

Ferdinand shook his head and said, "That will not do, Bernadetta. As a member of the Black Eagles, it is essential for you to attend our training sessions, even if you yourself are not participating."

Dorothea nodded and said, "Don't worry, Bernie. We're just doing a bit of sparring like last time."

Bernadetta glared at Dorothea and said, "Says the one who zapped me!"

Dorothea laughed and averted her gaze. "Well… accidents happen?"

Linhardt yawned and said, "Just try not to make anything too serious happen, alright? I don't have too many healing spells in me today."

I frowned. "Why not?"

Linhardt pointed to Caspar and said, "Blame him."

Caspar shouted. "Hey! You didn't _have_ to heal me! I could have walked it off!"

Linhardt nodded. "Walk it off right to the infirmary and miss class." He shook his head. "I get enough nagging from my dad. I'm not going to deal with nagging from Edelgard and Dorothea for not dragging you to class."

Edelgard frowned. "I do not nag."

Hubert nodded. "Indeed. Lady Edelgard simply dictates and you must oblige."

Edelgard sighed. "Hubert. That is not helping. And Bernadetta, stop trying to sneak away."

"Eek!" Bernadetta flinched and jumped behind Ferdinand.

The orange-haired noble sighed and said, "While I appreciate your trust in me, Bernadetta, perhaps it might be better to face your fears head on in this case?"

She shook her head and said, "Edelgard's still mad about the cookie! I knew it!"

"…Perhaps you should have considered that before taking it from her, Bernadetta?"

I sighed. Just how did high school teachers deal with stuff like this on a daily basis? They must have the patience of a Saint… or lots of alcohol. Maybe I should ask Manuela for some?

Sothis popped up beside me and said, "I agree. To deal with such chaos requires a certain level of temperance… or significant external aid. And, sorry to disappoint but you would not be able to get drunk with your current constitution."

Damn. Well… there was always coffee. Something I still needed to bug Seteth about…

Anyway, this has gone on long enough.

I clapped my hands and said, "Alright everyone. Quiet down. It's about time for us to begin."

I waited for everyone to be quiet and then started talking again. "As I said, we'll be sparring in pairs. Ideally, I'd like for us to take full advantage of the terrain, but…" I looked around and said, "It's a bit bigger than anticipated."

I was kind of expecting something along the size of a football field, but the place was more like a small city block.

Hubert smiled. "Is it now? I would have expected an infamous mercenary as yourself to be more accustomed to such battlefields."

"I am." Well, Byleth is. "But full-scale battles involving soldiers are a bit foreign to me."

"Is that so?" Hubert placed a hand on his chin. "Then I am curious to see how you will handle the Battle of the Eagle and Lion, Professor."

Me too, Hubert. Me too.

"Anyway," I said. "We'll be splitting up into pairs, with Linhardt sitting out to heal."

The sleepy young man sighed in relief. "Thanks Professor."

"I wouldn't thank me yet. We're going to be training hard, so expect a lot of work."

Linhardt shrugged and then walked over to lay on the grass.

"That's not fair!" Bernadetta called out and said, "Why does he get to sit out, Professor?"

Ferdinand sighed. "That is because Linhardt is the best healer among us all, Bernadetta."

"Argh… not fair."

"Well, if that's enough complaining, we'll be splitting up into the following pairs: Caspar and Dorothea, Ferdinand and Bernadetta, Edelgard and Hubert, and then Petra and myself."

Caspar frowned. "Me and Dorothea? I dunno, Prof…"

Dorothea gave a light jab to Caspar's arm. "What, lil' bro. Scared big sis won't be able to pull her weight?"

Caspar jumped back. "H-Hey! I thought I told you to stop that!"

Dorothea laughed.

"Myself and Lady Edelgard, is it?" Hubert nodded. "An unexpected decision, Professor… however a wise one."

Edelgard frowned and looked at me. "Are you certain about this, Professor? I don't mean to doubt your decision, but isn't the purpose of this exercise to improve teamwork between us overall? I am already familiar with Hubert's fighting style, so this seems a bit redundant."

I shook my head. "Not at all. I'm going to be relying on you two in the mock battle the most, so it's good to get any last minute kinks out."

"Hmph. As if there would be any flaw in my cooperation with Lady Edelgard… but as you wish, Professor." Hubert nodded.

"W-Wait!" Bernadetta called out. "Me and Ferdinand? B-But…!"

"Relax, Bernadetta." Ferdinand turned towards her and smiled. "While you may be a bit… flighty at times, I can assure that your skill with a bow and a spear are second to none."

"R-Really? Well, if you think so, I'll do my best, Ferdie!"

Ferdinand's smile dropped and then he turned to glare at me. "I blame this upon you, Professor."

I shrugged and said, "Hey, if it makes you feel better, you can call me By."

"Oh my!" Dorothea placed a hand against her lips. "I didn't know you were like that, Professor. And for Ferdie to be the one to do it…"

Ferdinand blushed. "W-What are you implying, Dorothea!"

Edelgard coughed and said, "Y-Yes, Dora! What are you saying!?"

Dorothea laughed. "Sorry, sorry. It was just too easy not to pass up! Though…" She turned towards me and said, "Why By and not something like Billy or Letty, Professor?"

"It's short, sweet, and the last thing I say to people I kill?"

And like that, the cheerful atmosphere vanished.

Hm. Well… guess that joke fell flat.

Sothis sighed. "Of course it would. Perhaps it would be best not to imply that you will murder your students?"

"That is impressing, Professor!" Petra chimed in. "You are kind to give final words to your enemies. In Brigid, we do the same and give a small prayer to the spirits."

"I… don't think the professor is talking about that, Petra." Dorothea sighed. "But sure. Let's go with that."

I shrugged and said, "Anyway, grab your weapons everyone. First up, Bernadetta and Ferdinand versus Dorothea and Caspar."

* * *

While everyone was getting ready, I made a small arena. A bit of burning in the grass to form a ring, some chairs propped up to watch, and then we were ready.

That done, I took a seat near the middle of the outside edge and watched the fighters get ready.

Bernadetta and Ferdinand were on the left, while Dorothea and Caspar were on the right.

Sothis appeared in my lap and hummed. "Is there a particular reason you chose these pairings? Would it not be better to pair the arrogant one with the hyper one to prepare for the mock battle?"

Maybe. But this is actually more a test then an actual exercise.

"A test?"

I clenched my left arm and nodded.

That's right. If what you said about my arm is true and time is distorted… then I should see it here.

"Hm… if you say so, Byleth."

With that settled… why are you sitting on my lap and not on the chairs?

Sothis looked up, her eyes wide and sincere. "Why? Is it bothering you?"

I sighed and turned my attention back to my students.

Bernadetta sighed and said, "Why do we have to be first, Ferdie?"

Ferdinand swung his wooden spear a few times and then turned towards Bernadetta. "Perhaps because the Professor trusts our skills? I cannot be certain, but I know that he would not do so without purpose."

Bernadetta sighed again and picked up her bow and arrows as well. "Still… Oh, why didn't I focus on Faith magic? If I did, maybe I could be the one lying down over there like Linhardt."

Ferdinand shook his head. "Such a thing would not suit you, Bernadetta. Your talents would be squandered in such a case."

"Then let them be squandered! I'd rather sit down and read then fight!"

Ferdinand sighed. "Were that we could all do that… but a noble has their duties."

"I never asked to be a noble or have this stupid Crest!"

Ferdinand nodded. "And I never asked to have a father like my own. However, we must play the hands we are dealt. Now… prepare yourself Bernadetta." He turned towards his opponents and said, "It will not be long before the battle starts."

On the other side, Dorothea and Caspar were getting ready as well.

Caspar hopped on his feet and threw out a few jabs. "This is going to be great! I can't wait to test out the new things Prof showed me!"

Dorothea picked up her training sword and said, "That's fine and all, Caspar. But hold back a bit, will you? Bernie's a bit… sensitive."

Caspar stopped and said, "What? It's sparring! We're already holding back by not killing each other!"

Dorothea sighed. "Well… at least go for Ferdie. I'll take care of Bernie."

Caspar nodded. "Alright! I've been meaning to smack that carrot-top's face anyway."

"…What was Professor thinking, pairing me up with you?"

"Hm? Did you say something, Dorothea?"

Dorothea shook her head. "Nothing. Just get ready."

After that, the pair took their places as well.

Seeing that both sides were ready, I stood up. When they saw me stand, both pairs were prepared.

"The usual rules apply. Clean fight, no killing blows, etc. I'll be keeping an eye on the match this time to make sure, but just in the off chance something happens, remember that we do have a healer on the ready. And if things go too poorly… well, I'll do something about it. So don't worry too much and just do your best."

"Got it, Prof!" Caspar punched his right fist into his left palm and then took on a boxer's stance.

"Understood, Professor." Ferdinand spun his spear around and then shifted his stance, holding it low to the ground.

Beside Ferdinand, Bernadetta took a deep breath and raised her spear as well. "I-I'll do my best!"

Dorothea lowered her sword and nodded. "I'm ready, Professor!"

"Then… on three. One. Two… Three!"

The moment I finished speaking, Ferdinand rushed forward. However, his target wasn't Caspar.

Dorothea's eyes grew wide and she swung her sword to parry. "What happened to the chivalry of a noble, Ferdie?"

Ferdinand's spear was sent wide, but he quickly pulled it back and stepped in to attack again. "All is fair in love and war, Dorothea!"

Dorothea quickly stepped back. "Some noble you are…! Caspar!"

"On it!"

Caspar shouted and then rushed at Ferdinand, throwing a jab at his side.

The orange-haired noble was forced to disengage and beat a hasty retreat. Even so, a smile was on his face. "Impressive! It seems Count Bergliez's prowess was not wasted after all!"

Caspar ducked around a stab Ferdinand sent to counter. "You're not too shabby yourself, Ferdinand! Though… I won't lose!"

Dorothea sighed when she saw that Caspar was dealing with Ferdinand. She turned to look at Bernadetta, only to see a bolt of lightning shooting towards her.

"Et tu, Bernie?!"

"Sorry, not sorry!"

After that, Bernadetta took a deep breath and charged, closing the distance on Dorothea and launching arrows at point blank.

Watching it all happen, I was surprised. All of that improvement in just a day's work? No, not even a day but an evening and part of the morning?

The combat unfolding in front of me was something I'd expect to be seeing part way through the game, if we were judging by those standards. There wasn't any awkwardness in movements or any wasted efforts. If anything, the only weaknesses I saw in their movements were in their stamina and maybe strength, but that was something that would be fixed with time. In terms of just skill…

My left arm throbbed and I glanced at it again. Was this my equivalence of Byleth's journal in the game? Did I unlock the student's skills by twisting time like Sothis said? Or was this just a coincidence?

Whatever the case, if this was how my students were doing, I was certain that the mock battle wouldn't be as clear cut as I thought it was going to be. And also that it was a good thing I decided to actually join the fighting compared to leaving them to fight.

Ferdinand and Caspar continued to exchange blows.

The orange-haired noble was pulling off some insane combat techniques. I didn't know if it was because he took my words about being overall skilled to heart or because it was his natural talent, but he wasn't using the spear as just that. I saw some staff techniques, heavy blows that looked more suited to halberds, quick slices that were similar to what might be done with a katana… Ferdinand was like a jack of all trades, blending a lot of different techniques into one fighting style.

It was impressive and reminded me of another orange-haired character. Still, if Ferdinand's diverse attacks were impressive, than Caspar who was managing to avoid and counter attack was even more so.

The second son of Count Bergliez ducked and weaved around each of Ferdinand's blows. It was fast enough that he was just a blue blur, bobbing in and out.

Ferdinand spun away after failing yet another attack and said, "It is a shame that your older brother is inheriting the title! Were it up to me, I would say that you are much more suited, Caspar!"

Caspar straightened and said, "Thanks, Ferdinand! And you're a lot nicer than your dad. Gotta say, I never got why Edelgard doesn't like you… but eh. Should we finish this?"

"Let us." Ferdinand lowered his stance, a white light glowing from his left arm.

…Left arm?

Ferdinand charged, thrusting out his spear at Caspar's body. Head, neck, heart, thighs, shoulders… A dozen swift strikes all at vital areas of Caspar's body were launched in the span of a few seconds.

Yet, none of them connected.

The reason for that…

"Time to try it out! Hah!"

Caspar blurred. Like before, he ducked and weaved around the attacks. However, instead of just side to side, this time he did diagonals, weaving a figure eight in four directions.

The act allowed him to dodge all of Ferdinand's strikes.

Ferdinand's eyes widened in surprise when he realized that he missed.

"Wide open!" Caspar leaned forward and then threw an uppercut.

"Curs-"

Ferdinand didn't have the time to finish speaking. The orange-haired noble was sent flying through the air. His spear landed at Bernadetta's feet, but the noble himself bounced a few times against the ground.

I winced. That… looked like it hurt quite a bit.

"He is fine." Sothis assured me. "Unlike the people of your world, we are all a bit more durable. Furthermore, it seems the lazy one is already on it."

She was right. Barely after Ferdinand landed, Linhardt was already running over, his hands covered in white light.

"Argh." Caspar groaned and then grabbed his waist. "Prof warned me about this…" He shook his head and then waved at Dorothea. "Sorry, Dorothea! I'm gonna have to tap out!"

Dorothea batted an arrow from Bernadetta and said, "Alright, Caspar! But you owe me tea later!"

"Gah, fine!"

Caspar shook his head and walked over to Linhardt, gingerly holding his waist.

Seeing that both sides were down their partners, Bernadetta stopped shooting.

Dorothea took the chance to take a breather and then stared at Bernadetta. "are you sure you want to do this, Bernie? We can stop if you want."

Bernadetta shook her head. "I… want to. But Ferdinand believes in me." She picked up his fallen spear and then spun it around, holding it just like he did. "So I won't give up!"

Dorothea smiled. "Glad to see you being confident, Bernie… but I won't lose! Sorry in advance!" Lightning crackled around her sword, a technique that I'd seen recently.

"Hexblade?" I muttered.

When did Dorothea pick that up? No, could she pick that up?

"Why are you so surprised?" Sothis said. "This is your influence, is it not?"

I nodded. I did point out a way to make up for her lack of strength with magic but…

"Gotta go for it!" Bernadetta shouted and then ran forward. As she did, cold blue light began gathering around her spear.

Seeing that, my eyes grew wide. "I… didn't mention that to her at all."

Frozen lance. The corresponding magical weapon combat art to the sword's Hexblade. But… I didn't think Bernadetta could use that, could she?

Well, whether or not she could in the game, Bernadetta was doing that now.

Dorothea slashed, sending lightning crackling towards Bernadetta.

Bernadetta slashed as well, sending a wave of frosty blue air.

The two magical attacks collided in the air and canceled out.

Dorothea frowned and started to swing her sword again. Yet, before she could, Bernadetta charged.

"Hah!"

There was a flash of white light and then the Crest of Indech flashed in front of Bernadetta. With it, she went forward at blinding speeds and swung her spear up again, causing another blast of freezing wind.

Dorothea screamed and flew through the air towards… me?!

My eyes widened and I quickly got up to grab her.

Dorothea fell into my arms, her skin tinged a bit blue. She looked dazed, but when she saw my face she sighed. "Guess I lost, huh?" She shook her head. "Well… at least I got to fall into your arms?"

I sighed.

Bernadetta stood in place for a moment. However, when she saw me holding Dorothea, she smiled. "I won!"

I set Dorothea down.

She turned towards Bernadetta and nodded. "You sure did a number on me, Bernie." She winced and said, "…there goes showing off for the professor."

Bernadetta glanced at me and said, "I get a prize, right? Right?"

"…Sure."

I didn't plan it, but I guess Bernadetta deserved one for pulling that through. Also for answering one question of mine.

…They didn't realize it yet, but the past and the future were starting to blend. She was more confident than she should be.

I reached into my pocket and then made a show of pulling something out. In reality though, I quickly synthesized something from the ambient mana. It was just a bit of sugar, wrapped in wax. Still, for a sugar loving girl like Bernadetta…

She gratefully took the candy from me and ran over to chat with Ferdinand. Dorothea meanwhile walked over to Linhardt to join the rest of the group and heal up.

After that, Petra walked over to me, training sword in hand. "Is it being our turn now, Professor?"

"That's right." I picked up my sword as well and walked into the arena.

Across from me, Edelgard and Hubert showed up.

This time, Linhardt would be the ref. Mostly because I wouldn't be able to… and because I had a feeling that having a healer on hand would be helpful in case of… accidents in this match up.

I never knew with Hubert, after all.

When both sides took their place, I noticed something odd.

"No axe for you, Edelgard?"

The princess was missing her signature weapon. Instead of the axe, she was wielding a sword. Not only that, but she was wielding it in her left hand as well.

Edelgard brushed her hair away with her right hand and said, "You made a valid point in your analysis, Professor. A sword suits me more than the axe. And besides… how else can I compare myself to you if I use a different weapon?"

Hubert put on a pair of white gloves and then held his sword in his right hand, dark magic crackling in his left. "Indeed. Both of us are quite curious to see how truly skilled you are, Professor."

Before I could answer, Petra swung her sword and held it parallel to the ground, taking a style like one would with a katana. "You two will be regretting discounting me!"

Hubert shook his head. "Not to demean your own skills, Petra… but it will not be us that fall today."

I swung my training sword a bit to test its weight and then said, "We'll see about that. Don't think I'll be taking it easy on you just because you're my students." And because I might have accidently killed one of you in the past… "The others definitely won't in the mock battle."

Edelgard smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Professor."

I nodded… and then frowned. If Edelgard was left handed, facing her I'd be at a disadvantage. In that case…

I switched my sword to my left hand and moved to Petra's right side.

Edelgard narrowed her eyes. "I thought you said you wouldn't take it easy, Professor."

"I'm not."

"Are you left handed?"

"Are you?"

Edelgard nodded. "Yes. I am."

Huh. I thought she was right handed… but then I guess the promotional materials showed her left handed? Maybe she was ambidextrous… that'd make the most sense.

Either way…

"Then I made the right decision." I shifted my stance, mirroring Petra's.

She turned to me slightly and said, "What is the plan, Professor?"

"You lead, I'll follow."

"…Understood. I will not be letting you down, Professor."

Linhardt walked over, finally finished with treating everyone. He yawned and said, "You guys ready?"

"Of course," Edelgard said.

"Always," I responded.

"Alright," Linhardt said. "Then… go."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Just a forewarning that I might be coming down with something so I might take a few days off or have a late update like today. The weather's been jumping up and down around the freezing point where I live, so I think that's wreaking havoc with my immune system.

Anyway... minor details slowly adding up. Just gotta pull off the upcoming bit right and hopefully the long payoff will be worth it. Maybe...?

As always, thanks for reading and your input. I hope this chapter was enjoyable, and I'll see you in the next one. Which hopefully is tomorrow.

:fingerscrossed:


	27. save

Petra immediately charged at Edelgard, swinging her sword at the Adrestrian Princess's right side. It was fast, a horizontal cut similar to iaido, the quick draw technique from Japan.

Fast, enough to where I missed a beat and took too long to do a successful follow up attack.

But Edelgard was faster. Was it because she knew Petra would aim for her open side, or because her reflexes were that good? I didn't know, but before Petra's slash could hit Edelgard, the sound of clattering wood echoed and Petra was forced back.

"A bit eager to beat me, aren't you, Petra?" Edelgard smiled and raised her sword in a dueler's pose, tilting her body slightly to the side and leading with her sword and left foot.

Petra spun back to my side, raising her sword parallel to the ground. "I have already said, Edelgard. I will not be losing today."

I nodded and raised my sword as well, mirroring Petra. "That was just a practice test, Edelgard."

Edelgard smiled, her violet eyes twinkling with amusement. "Is that so?"

Hubert moved close to Edelgard's right side. "My apologies, Lady Edelgard. Such an attack will not work the second time."

"We shall see!" Petra shouted and charged again, closing the gap with a single slash. Her sword cut towards Edelgard's right side again.

"Naïve!" Hubert moved in front of Edelgard and held out his left hand, gathering dark miasma to cast a spell.

But-

"You're the naïve one!" I moved half a step behind Petra, and then split off before reaching Hubert. I slid low to the ground and brought my sword up to slash at Edelgard's left side.

"What?" Hubert spun to the side and cancelled his spell. "Lady Edelgard!"

"You are having a mistake, Hubert!" Petra changed her target, swinging her sword at him instead.

"Tch!"

Edelgard's eyes widened and she stepped back, swinging her sword to parry my attack. "Too slow, Prof-"

"Petra!"

"Understood!"

Mid-swing, Petra changed direction and charged at Edelgard again.

Good. It seemed like even the vague recollections I had of Musashi's Five Rings paid off.

Petra perfectly grasped the timing of my attack and slashed from above to complement it.

Edelgard was forced to make a hasty retreat to avoid our attacks. "Two on one, Professor? Not very noble of you!"

Petra and I swapped places from the momentum of our attacks, the Brigid princess moving to my right and I to her left.

My attack missed, but my momentum wasn't gone yet. I looked up at Edelgard and said, "Mercenary, remember?" That said, I crouched low to the ground to gather the force to change my direction and then lunged at Edelgard with a stab.

In the corner of my eyes, I saw Petra do the same, moving to attack Edelgard from a blindspot.

But just before our attacks reached, I felt a surge of mana.

Glancing towards the source of that, I saw Hubert slam his left palm to the ground.

Edelgard's eyes widened and she shouted. "Hubert!"

Dark spikes started to sprout from the earth.

I aborted my attack and threw myself to the side. At the same time I said, "Petra! Dodge!"

A surge of dark spikes pierced through the path I would have taken with my attack.

In the corner of my eye, I saw something similar happen with Petra. However, it seemed Hubert had the piece of mind to hold back in regards to her, since those 'spikes' were more like pillars, rounded at the tips.

Hubert straightened himself and turned to Edelgard. "What is it, Lady Edelgard?"

The princess frowned and said, "This is a spar, not a fight to the death. There was no need to use that spell."

Hubert shook his left hand, sending a few blades of grass scattering in the air. "You underestimate our Professor's skill, Lady Edelgard. As well as- To your left, Lady Edelgard!"

"Fire meets water!" Petra shouted and swung her sword at Edelgard.

She could have done without the shout, but it seemed like Petra was putting Musashi's principles to good work in performing a perfect ambush attack. It was a bit unfair, but real warfare wouldn't wait for fairness.

Edelgard looked surprised, but her violet eyes quickly narrowed in focus. She adjusted her grip on her sword, dropping the fencing pose, and then said, "Is that all?"

Petra's sword cut through the air. Five strikes, done in the span of a second. Astra.

Yet… with those five slashes came the sound of five collisions, wood crashing against wood. And then-

"You're weak!"

Edelgard swung her sword, surpassing Petra's five attacks with one of her own. A slash that was like a raging storm.

Petra raised her sword to block, but it was too slow.

I wasn't.

My sword slashed where Petra's didn't reach and knocked Edelgard's sword wide. But the moment I did-

"I have you!" Hubert shouted and swung his hand out, sending a surge of dark miasma at me.

"This is it, Professor!" At the same time, Edelgard's sword swung around to slash at me.

It seemed that the pair were quick studies, since I was the one having to face a two-on-one attack.

I couldn't avoid Hubert's spell without being hit by Edelgard's attack. And if I tried to parry or block Edelgard's attack, I'd be struck with Hubert's spell.

In a pinch, I could probably dispel it with my left arm, but… No, I'd risk it. I wasn't sure how strong my resistance was, but I was sure I could tank at least one attack from Hubert… as long as it wasn't Dark Spikes.

I swung my sword to parry Edelgard's. At the same time, I felt a cold and slimy wave wash over me.

"What?" Hubert's surprised voice echoed.

"You are showing an opening, Hubert!" Petra spoke and then I heard the sound of her kicking off the ground.

I didn't turn around to confirm if she did. Instead, I focused on Edelgard.

Instead of pressing her attack, Edelgard stepped back and lowered her sword. She smiled and said, "Impressive, Professor. Not many can shrug off a magic spell from Hubert."

I resisted the dry laughter welling up inside of me. If only she knew…

Edelgard shook her head and said, "But enough playing around." With that said, she shifted her body slightly, adopting a different sword stance. "There can be no victory unless I defeat you... So be it!"

It was a stance I didn't know. One I had never seen and one that didn't show up in the game. But… it was familiar. Something my mind didn't know, but my heart did.

A sharp slash cut towards my neck, fluid and flawless.

I moved my sword to parry it, but the moment I did, Edelgard's blade shifted, flowing around my sword like water… no, like a snake.

My eyes widened at that realization and I leaped back. "Where did you learn that sword style, Edelgard?"

"If you're curious, Professor…" She pointed her sword to the ground and then charged. "Defeat me!"

I swung my sword again. This time, instead of parrying or trying to avoid her blow, I stepped into it and locked blades with Edelgard.

My left arm throbbed, but I could see through the sword style.

Loose, fluid. The sword was swung in curved arcs, almost bending like a snake to attack at unpredictable angles. Something that should be impossible, but was apparently working with Edelgard's strength.

Edelgard drew her sword back, breaking free of the bind, and then spun to slash my right side.

It was too far for me to reach with the sword in my left hand. Realizing that, I quickly passed the sword into my right hand and parried.

"So you're finally taking me seriously, Professor!" Edelgard pressed forward, locking blades again. Strength that couldn't belong in Edelgard's small frame pressed against my blade, pushing me back.

At that time, I heard Petra scream and saw her get blasted back with dark miasma.

Thankfully, Linhardt was ready. Like a skilled martial artist, he grabbed her while she was falling and dampened her fall before placing her gently on the ground. After that, he immediately set to work healing her.

At that time, Hubert walked into my field of vision, adjusting his left glove before standing at Edelgard's right side. "My apologies for the delay, Lady Edelgard."

I tightened my grip on my training sword. Seeing that confirmed it.

"Go Professor!" Dorothea's cheerful voice echoed in the air.

I glanced over to see her standing beside Bernadetta.

Dorothea raised her arm up and said, "Don't let Edie and Hubie show you up!"

Bernadetta nodded. "Th-that's right! It's just two versus one! That's nothing for a demon like you! Beat her up enough to forget about me stealing her cookie!"

…There was something off with Bernadetta's encouragement, but I appreciated it anyway.

"Yeah!" Dorothea nodded and said, "Go beat up the cookie monster!"

It would have been a typical anime scene if Caspar and Ferdinand were up to cheer me on too, but the former had fallen unconscious from the pain of straining his waist and the other was just unconscious in general from being knocked out.

Edelgard smiled and looked towards Dorothea. "You're making me out to be quite the villain, Dora."

"Aren't you, Edie?"

"Well," Hubert said. "If Lady Edelgard is the villain, I am more than willing to play the part of her right hand."

I shook my head, hiding the smirk on my face.

Well… this was at least a better outcome than the last time I tried a spar.

I nodded and said, "Very well. Far be it from me to disappoint a maiden's plea."

Edelgard shook her head and muttered, "I can't believe I'm going along with this." Even while she said that, a small smile was on the princess's face. "Come, Hubert. Let's show our Professor what it means to oppose the Adrestrian Emperor."

Hubert laughed. "As you wish, Lady Edelgard." That said, dark magic began crackling in his left hand.

…Edelgard is just acting, you know? There's no need to go all out, Hubert…

I thought that, but I had a feeling that I'd get a blast of Dark Spikes if I mentioned it, so I kept quiet.

And besides, this was my chance to relax a bit. Edelgard's sword style was still bugging me, but at least this had become more light hearted.

"Indeed." Sothis floated over in the corner of my vision. "You have done well to calm your students down."

Finally decided to show up again?

"There was not an opportunity to speak earlier. It would be most unfortunate for you to make an amateurish mistake in front of your students."

And now is better?

Sothis nodded. "Of course. Before you were assessing them, but now you have seen enough. Or am I wrong?"

…You're right. I got what I needed and confirmed what I wanted to confirm. Though, Edelgard's sword style still bugged me. I couldn't quite place it… At first I thought it might have been something from an anime, but now that I was observing her again…

A casual stance with the sword held loosely at her side. Her entire body, not tense but fluid and leaning slightly forward, as if to lash out with her sword like a whip.

…Like a whip?

Sothis rolled her eyes. "Honestly, have you not recognized it? She is attacking as if she would were she to wield the Sword of the Creator."

Wait, what?

Edelgard stared at me and said, "Well, Professor- No. If I am the villain, I suppose that would make you the hero." She smiled, an expression of someone enjoying a private joke and said, "Shall we begin our last dance, Hero?"

I took a quick stock of my surroundings.

To the east, near the forest and to my back, Linhardt was treating Petra. He'd also dragged Caspar and Ferdinand over there, making a makeshift infirmary by the wagon and our supplies.

To the west, in front of me, were Edelgard and Hubert, preparing to attack at a moment's notice.

To the north, and to my right, were Dorothea and Bernadetta, both standing with their backs to the western forest and fortress where the Golden Deer would be occupying in the mock battle.

I nodded, having oriented myself. Since this would be two on one, it would be important for me to move around a lot. Avoiding simultaneous attacks as much as possible and disrupting their rhythm would be the key to winning if I wanted to stick purely to swordsmanship.

Which I was going to, considering what happened last time.

"En garde!" Edelgard charged, her sword cutting through the air in a loose arc.

"For Lady Edelgard!" Hubert shouted and swept his hand, sending up a surge of dark spikes to trap me.

"Go Professor!" Bernadetta cheered.

In the corner of my eyes, I saw Dorothea cup her hands around her mouth. "Let's go Professor By-"

A soft whistling, barely audible. From the direction of the western fortress.

My eyes widened and I turned towards it, completely forgetting about Edelgard and Hubert.

When I did…

"-Urk."

…I saw an arrow pierce through Dorothea's back.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Alright. It's decided. After uploading this chapter and the next, I'll be taking a few days off. There will be one more chapter on Halloween, potentially late in the evening to be extra spooky, and then the next one will be on November fourth.

That'll give both me and you some time to recuperate from my breakneck update rate, eh?

Anyway, thanks for reading and your input as always.

This chapter's probably killer ending the way it does... but hopefully you don't hate me too much for it.


	28. file

Dorothea clutched her chest, swaying as if she would fall any moment. Blood spread from a hole on the right side of her chest and a crimson-stained arrow pierced into the ground in front of her.

Bernadetta screamed and grabbed her. "You can't die, Dorothea! Not like this!"

Panic, hysteria. I shoved those away and forced myself to calm down and take stock of the situation.

…It was bad. Ferdinand, Caspar, and Petra were knocked out. Linhardt was nearby healing them, but he wasn't a physical fighter, despite his unarmed skills.

Sothis! How many enemies are we facing?

I saw the goddess in the corner of my eyes. She looked around, but her eyes simply widened in shock.

"I… I cannot see them!"

What do you mean you can't-

A flurry of arrows, their arrowheads glinting silver beneath the daylight, raced towards us.

"Lady Edelgard!" Hubert pushed Edelgard behind him and threw out his left hand, forming a barrier of dark magic.

It was sturdy, dense. Enough to protect him and Edelgard.

In the corner of my eyes, I saw Linhardt spring to his feet to cast a barrier formed of wind, guarding him along with the unconscious Black Eagles.

I didn't get it. I didn't understand what was going on, who was attacking us. But I didn't have the time to think about it.

I ran in front of Bernadetta and Dorothea and held out my left hand as well.

Unlike the others, I couldn't make a barrier. Not on my own, at least, and not one that lasted long. But I could make a burst, a concussive force. And with that-

"SCATTER!"

Mana coursed through my arm, numbing it with pain, and then spread throughout the air in front of me. Invisible threads that only I could see twisted and then shattered, creating a makeshift barrier using explosions.

"Dora!"

I heard Edelgard call out from behind me, her voice laced with worry.

But there wasn't time for that.

Peering through the explosions, I could see our attackers. But knowing their identity only brought up more questions in my mind.

Black cloaked figures with plague doctor masks, their beaks peering out from beneath their hoods. About six of them stood on the top of the fortress, bows raised and reaching for more arrows.

Standing behind them was another figure, although their face was hidden in the darkness of the hood.

But that wasn't the extent of their forces. I could see more emerging from the forests to the west and some to the northeast.

Sothis shook her head and took a step back. "This is… impossible? They are veiled from my sight? But that-"

I ignored her for now and turned my head back slightly towards Edelgard and Hubert. "Help Linhardt get everyone to the forest! We need cover, now!"

Edelgard bit her lip and then nodded. "Understood! Hubert!"

"As you will, Lady Edelgard!"

The two dashed towards Linhardt and the others. Edelgard quickly bent down to throw Caspar over her shoulders before running towards the woods.

Hubert grabbed Ferdinand, carrying over one shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

That left Linhardt with Petra, who he scooped up in a bridal hold, and then started running.

That left me with Dorothea and Bernadetta.

Bernadetta turned towards me, her eyes wide and skittish. "What do we do, Professor?!"

Now that I knew it was coming, I could hear the faintest sounds of bow strings twanging in the distance.

That meant there wasn't long before we'd be facing another volley of arrows.

Because of that, I acted on instinct.

I picked up Dorothea, carrying her like a bride, and then knelt down with my back towards Bernadetta.

"Hop on, now!"

"P-Professor!? What are you-"

"NOW!"

Bernadetta squeaked and then did as I said, jumping on my back and wrapping her hands around my neck. The moment she did I saw the glints of silver heading towards us.

There wasn't time for any caution. I'd be too slow running at a normal pace and my left arm was still cooling down.

I wanted to use a Divine Pulse, but even if I did… would the outcome be anything different? Something inside told me that it'd be a bad idea. An imminent sense of dread and regret.

Then… if that was out, I had to play my other cards.

"Hold on tight!"

I let mana pass through my left arm into the rest of my nerves.

At once, it felt like time slowed down. My vision was enhanced, letting me see the individual arrows racing towards us.

Power thrummed through my veins, like molten steel racing through my blood.

In that stalled world, I was the only one that could move at normal pace.

But that was an illusion. Unlike Sothis, who could turn back the flow of time, I was only skewing my perception of time.

Overclocking my brain, ignoring the limiters preventing my muscles from ripping apart, using mana to directly send the impulses from my brain to my body and move at the speed of thought.

I moved, running across the grass towards the forest. Each step sent me flying, covering swathes of ground at a time.

Each step caused another tendon to snap, another muscle to tear.

And each step caused the world to speed up, slowly racing towards its normal pace.

Because of that, I could hear Bernadetta's scream, slowly reaching a crescendo in my ears.

I clung to Dorothea, holding her close to my chest. She was still bleeding out, fast.

I caught up to Hubert, who was the last in the group heading for the forest.

He looked surprised to see me there, but quickly focused. "Have you ascertained the identity of our enemy, Professor?"

"Black robes, bird masks. They're all over the field on the northwest and northeast."

"What?" Hubert's eyes widened. "But that is-"

I heard the sound of bowstrings again. It seemed like our opponents were quicker on the draw than I thought.

"Hubert! Use that barrier behind us!"

He glanced back and shook his head. "It will not be enough to-"

"Just do it!"

Hubert frowned but nodded. He muttered underneath his breath and swept out his left hand behind us. Violet glyphs and dark wisps spread out before a transparent shield formed. But it was thin. To provide coverage, its protective power declined.

That was where I came in.

The moment Hubert finished casting, I swept my arm out as well and then _twisted_. The mana in the air quickly converged on the stretched shield to reinforce it.

A crisp sound like chimes echoed as the arrows arrived, bouncing off of the shield.

Hubert's eyes widened. "Professor, what did-"

"Talk later, run now!"

"…Of course."

* * *

I slumped against a tree, doing my best to ignore the deluge of pain spreading throughout my body.

Knives, tearing apart my organs. My bones, feeling like cracked glass. My blood, burning like molten steel. My muscles, mangled and bruised.

I was managing to keep it together through a combination of willpower and using mana like scotch tape, forcibly preventing my body from falling apart. But it was a temporary measure, like how you could keep drinking coffee after drinking a cup wore off to keep alert. Eventually, the crash would come, and it would come hard.

I took a deep breath, calm and slow. After that, I glanced around to check up on how my students were doing.

Linhardt was healing Dorothea. She'd lost a lot of blood, so her skin was extremely pale. Fortunately, it looked like we made it to safety quick enough, so she'd live. Out of commission for the upcoming fight, but alive.

As for Linhardt himself… he made a show of being nonchalant about healing everyone, but the sheen of sweat on his brow showed that it was taking a toll on him too.

Bernadetta was huddled to the ground next to me, as if afraid she'd be in danger anywhere else.

Caspar and Ferdinand had woken up shortly after we arrived.

The shorter blue-haired student was pacing across the forest ground, his hands clenched into fists. He kept glancing at Dorothea and scowling when he saw her pale form.

Ferdinand wasn't much better. His usual bright smile and confident demeanor was gone, replaced with a much more somber frown and narrowed eyes. He leaned with his back to a tree, his arms crossed, and seemed lost in thought, mulling over something important.

Petra was still unconscious. It seemed that Hubert's magic spell struck harder than he anticipated, so the Brigid princess was still out cold. If I had to hazard a guess, Petra probably had little to no resistance.

Something to account for in the future.

Our resident evil chancellor, Hubert, was on watch duty. As the only one of us who could cast a proper shield, as well as the one most familiar with moving in the darkness, I sent him out to scout the nearby forest for enemy movement.

He surprisingly didn't put up any resistance to my request. It seemed the gravity of the situation had affected all of us.

But perhaps the one most affected was Edelgard.

She leaned against a tree in front of me, her left arm hugging her chest and the other propping up her chin. With her head lowered, her violet eyes flitted across the ground, as if she could find the answers there.

Lost, confused, and upset. For once, her composure was gone, leaving just an ordinary young girl out of her depths.

Silence, with only the soft sound of healing magic as Linhardt kept Dorothea from crossing beyond the veil.

"Argh! Dammit!" Caspar spun around and punched a tree. "Those bastards should fight fair and square instead of sniping at us like cowards!"

Ferdinand frowned and said, "Calm down, Caspar."

Caspar glared at Ferdinand and said, "How can I!?" He swung his arm towards Dorothea and said, "They shot her! For no reason!"

"I am just as upset as you are. But this is no time to lose our composure, Caspar." Ferdinand's frown turned to a grimace. "Our foes are skilled. Professional as well, and opportunistic. From what the Professor and Edelgard recounted, they quickly took down Dorothea before sending a volley of arrows towards the rest of us…. But why her and not Bernadetta as well?"

Caspar ran his hand through his hair. "This doesn't make sense!" He turned towards me and said, "Prof. You have all the answers, don't you? What's going on? Why are we being attacked?"

I turned my head slightly to the side, as if thinking. But actually…

Sothis. Do you know?

The goddess was hovering beside me. Like everyone else, she was lost in thought. When I addressed her, she glanced at me and then sighed.

"I do not. This… this should be impossible. My powers… they are not being restricted. And yet I cannot see the identity or number of those attacking us." She shook her head and said, "It is like they are being veiled by shadows… no, obscured by my 'sight' itself."

Damn. I messed up.

From the outfits that I saw, those were clearly the Agarthans. Or as the game called them, 'Those Who Slither In The Dark'.

But why were they attacking us of all people? From Edelgard and Hubert's reactions, they were clearly not aware of it.

No, more importantly… how did they have technology to block Sothis's sight? Did Solon figure something out during the time I went to the chapel with Sothis?

The goddess nodded. "That… is possible. In that game of yours, I was not as active and so they were unaware. Yet, in this time…"

You were. Then… with that, they must have made a contingency.

That thought made me remember the surveillance device in my room. That lens that blended into the wall.

Could it be that they were already aware something was off since then? Maybe not Sothis being there directly, but her influence extending into the area?

Caspar walked up to me and grabbed my shirt. "Answer me!"

I winced and opened my mouth to respond. But before I could, I had to bite back a cough. Blood spilled from the corner of my lips.

Caspar's eyes widened and he let go. "Professor, you-"

"You're hurt, Professor." Edelgard said.

I wiped the blood from my lips and said, "Just a bit."

Edelgard was silent, watching me with an unreadable expression.

Caspar stepped back and shook his head. He looked at me and then sighed. "Sorry Prof. It's just…"

"A stressful situation out of the blue. I got it." I took a breath to calm myself after Caspar shook my body.

This was bad. If we had to stay here, my body would probably break down. Linhardt was too worn out to heal me. A few vulneraries would help, but the wagon with our supplies were far away.

"Alright," I muttered. "Alright. I've just got to do it."

Ferdinand looked over and said, "What do you have in mind, Professor?"

"I-"

Branches rustled nearby. I turned towards it, drawing on what little mana I could.

The others turned as well, raising their own weapons. Still, being just training weapons there was little they could do, but…

"I have returned, Lady Edelgard." Hubert emerged from the shadows.

Ferdinand sighed and lowered his training spear. "You could have announced yourself better, Hubert."

"Hmph." Hubert shook his head and then turned towards me. "Our enemy appears content to wait us out. I could not determine the exact number, but suffice to say that we are greatly outnumbered."

Everyone was staring at me, waiting for my decision. Even Edelgard, while she was quiet, seemed to wait on my word.

I went over the situation one last time in my head.

The ones attacking us were probably the Agarthans… but I didn't know why or how they were here.

Edelgard and Hubert were confused as well, so either they weren't aware of this, or the Agarthans were deciding to move against them.

Dorothea was shot first, but she was also the easiest target to hit out of us all, since Bernadetta was shorter and the others were too far to hit. They didn't attack me, Hubert, or Edelgard at first until after that initial volley, so either this was a warning, or they were just planning to attack anyone that showed up today.

The Knights of Seiros… Sothis said that my dad was out on a mission, didn't she? And at this time, Catherine would be out as well, leaving the main forces gone.

Was this a distraction? No, if it was then why did they wait until it was just me versus Edelgard and Hubert?

…Were they there the entire time?

I considered using a Divine Pulse. We were in a bad spot… but like Sothis said, time was twisted around my left arm. Whether that meant that I could break the flow of Fate, or that it was working against me was unclear. However, it was too risky to test. Not while I had other options. If it turned out that I went back but it broke the Divine Pulse, I'd never forgive myself.

Then… what else?

Reinforcements? I could send Sothis to pass a message to either Rhea or Seteth. But then that went around to why I hadn't just had Sothis reveal herself to either of them yet. Right now, Sothis still looked like a little girl. From the scriptures and depictions of the goddess I'd seen so far, I was certain that she hadn't been when Seteth and Rhea were around. Going that route was chancy, another gamble. And I didn't know the extent of Nabatean tech Rhea had locked away. There could very be well some goddess specific thing that she had but never used in game that could affect Sothis in a bad way, and me in turn.

Seteth… he was reasonable, but it'd be hard to pass a message.

The ideal situation would be to rely on warp and rescue strats, but none of us knew those spells, and I didn't know if there was anyone at the monastery who did.

Sothis. Any ideas?

The goddess sighed. "None." She frowned. "Furthermore… I feel strange. As if a fog has been thrown over me… it is unsettling."

Right. The weird Agarthan tech was messing with my most reliable ally.

I clenched my fists. My body still felt like it was on the verge of falling apart, but it was still working. I was still alive.

The biggest problem was that I lacked information. There was something I was overlooking, something I _had_ overlooked. My gut was telling me that. The current situation was a ripple of something I had done early on. But what that was, I didn't know. And it would be too hard to find out.

I sighed and then looked up at everyone. "You stay put. I'll cause a distraction and race towards the enemy commander and cut down their forces."

"What?!" Caspar shook his head. "You're kidding, Prof! There must be over twenty of them out there! And you're hurt, aren't you?"

Ferdinand nodded. "I agree with Caspar. If you are going, then I, Ferdinand von Aegir will-"

"Stay put and make sure to protect everyone." I took off my coat and wrapped it around my left arm, tying it tight. That would give me at least a few more seconds in the case it exploded.

"No. No, no, no!" Bernadetta jumped up to her feet. "You can't do this, Professor! I mean, I know I said you could handle two on one easy, but this is like a hundred on one!"

I held my training sword in my right arm, swinging it a few time to test it. Clashing with Edelgard had reduced its durability a lot, but it should hold up for what I had planned.

Sothis drifted over to me and said, "Are you sure about this?"

Her sentiments were echoed by Edelgard. The princess stared at me, her violet eyes filled with concern, with doubt. "Professor… are you sure?" She shook her head and said, "There is no need for you to go out there alone."

Caspar nodded. "That's right! Put me in there! It's just some arrows, right? I can weave around them!"

I looked around. It seemed like everyone was intent on following me out there. Even Hubert, while reluctant, seemed like he'd be willing to at least follow at a distance. Was it because of what I'd done, or was it because this situation was reflecting on the bonds Byleth had formed across time? The support he had offered to them, reflecting back to the past?

My left arm burned.

Even if that was the case…

"Keep an eye on the kids for me, Delly. I'll be right back."

"Professor?!"

Before anybody could say anything else, I wrapped mana around me and dashed out of the forest.

* * *

A firing hammer placed against my head. The moment I made the decision to run out of the forest with the state my body was in, I'd already decided to give up on this life. The fuse was lit the moment I chose to spread mana throughout my nerves, and it'd only be a matter of time until my body broke down entirely.

But even if it was a matter of time… that still meant I had time left to use.

Information. About the forces we faced, about how strong they were, about _who_ they were. In the time I had left, I had to not only determine that, but figure out what they were using to dampen Sothis's powers.

The moment I burst out of the woods, I heard the twang of bowstrings. A fusillade set to skewer me into the ground.

I took a deep breath and then drew in mana from my left arm.

Power rippled through my veins, searing like molten steel. The world slowed to a crawl, letting me see the trajectories of every arrow racing towards me.

And then something burst inside me. Blood vessels and skin ruptured, sending crimson scattering all around me. But the mana wrapping my body refused to allow it to spill and drew it back in, resulting in a red haze surrounding my body.

I coughed, but managed to pull myself together and kicked off the ground.

Arrows pierced into the ground just behind me, and I flew in the direction of the wagon.

A resupply. My body was ruined, but I could buy a bit more time with vulneraries. Not only that, but I needed a better weapon than a wooden sword if I wanted to get to that bastard hiding on the top of the fortress.

Again, the sound of bowstrings being released.

I inhaled and drew in mana again for another dash. That time I felt something shatter in my right leg. A wave of pain rippled through my body, almost knocking me unconscious. To combat it, I bit my tongue, using that pain to focus.

Once again, arrows pierced into the ground where I had just been standing. The re-fire rate was increasing. Were they adjusting to my speed, or had they just been holding back?

Either way, I burst into the wagon. The act startled the horse meant to pull it, sending the steed galloping into the distance… until it immediately got shot down.

I mentally thanked it for its sacrifice and then glanced around the wagon. My abrupt entrance had caused things to scatter all over the place, crushing some sandwiches and vulneraries where I landed.

I didn't have the time to be picky. I picked up a handful of vulneraries and an iron sword, quickly attaching it to my left side. That done, I jumped out of the wagon.

Again, a fusillade fell from the sky, turning the wagon into a pincushion.

I downed a vulnerary and started running. At the same time, more arrows flew towards me.

"Just how the hell are you guys even aiming?" I muttered and then grit my teeth, forcing mana to course through my body again.

It seemed like they'd adjusted to my burst speed. When the world slowed, I saw the arrows staggered, set to block my way forward in every direction. It would be impossible to advance without getting ripped to shreds… ordinarily.

"Have a little faith. If some delusional kid could do it in a VR game, you can definitely do it when backed up by an actual goddess."

I muttered the words to reassure myself and then drew my iron sword.

Silver flashed through the air and I cut my way forward. Bits of wood scattered around me as I moved, the arrows split wherever the silver touched. But in addition to the wood, bits of blood fell as well.

My skin split with every movement and bits of my muscles were vaporized due to the mana coursing through my nerves.

"Make it. I'll make it."

I reached the wooden barricade. There were two dark mages lying in wait. One tall and male, the other shorter and female. Despite that, they attacked in sync, sending a wave of distorted dark magic at me.

But-

"It's over!"

-in my current state, magic might as well have been air.

The dark magic slid right off of me. No, it coursed through me.

Before the mages had time to react, I cut them down and vaulted the barricade.

My left leg shattered. I grit my teeth and forced mana to wrap around it, squeezing everything against the bone.

More arrows. I made a value call and let half of them pierce my body while I ran forward.

The front doors of the fortress.

Barely a minute had passed.

Mages poured out from the fortress. They raised their hands into the air, causing a resonance between their mana. A gambit… but also pointless.

Still… I didn't have much time left.

I quickly assessed my body.

Pulverized bone, dissolving muscles, blood vaporizing against the coursing mana.

My body didn't even hurt anymore, the damage so deep that I couldn't comprehend pain at that point.

I took a breath and focused on the pattern burned into my left arm. The Crest of Indech.

I exhaled and focused on the other pattern burned there. The Crest of Cichol.

Attacking twice, preventing a counter-attack. That was how they operated in the game. In reality…

Pressure fell upon the mages, stopping them in their tracks. At the same time, my body lightened and I could freely move, like flowing water.

Blood and limbs scattered and I stepped into the fortress.

The six archers I had seen on top of the tower ran down the steps and fired, sending a volley at point blank.

I didn't have the time to react. But-

"Go!"

Sothis appeared in front of me and spread out her arms. Golden magic circles lined with scripture bloomed and formed a barricade, stopping the arrows.

I ran up the stairs and cut down the archers, stepping onto the rooftop. There, I saw the last figure.

They were tall, wrapped in a black cloak that obscured their entire body. Along with that, the hood shrouded their face in darkness. Yet, as close as I was, I could now see beneath that hood. And what I saw was familiar. Familiar, but something that absolutely made no sense considering that Edelgard was still in the forest with the others.

A white and crimson mask with black sclera and golden pupils. Sleek and more suited for decoration than combat.

"The Flame Emperor?" I muttered.

"…A miscalculation." The Flame Emperor shook his head and then drew a sword from his side.

I didn't recognize it, but from the ominous violet light surrounding the blade, it wasn't one to take lightly.

I stepped forward. My time was running out, so I had to finish this in one blow-

"Behind you!"

Sothis's voice. Frantic, urgent.

I stomped my right foot against the ground and forcibly turned my body by wrenching the mana holding it together. At the same time, I drew my sword close to my body in a defensive guard.

The sound of clashing steel reverberated.

The Flame Emperor flipped through the air before landing on the ground. His sword was raised and his head cocked to the side, carefully observing.

I raised my sword and traced out the Crests of Indech and Cichol again. At the same time, I stared at the Flame Emperor and said, "Who are you?"

The Flame Emperor was quiet and then said, "You are dying, and yet you live. Not only that, but you bear the protection of the Goddess. It seems our information was incorrect."

My heart pounded. The Flame Emperor wasn't making any sense. _This_ wasn't making any sense.

"You… you're not Edelgard, are you?"

I couldn't tell from the distortion caused by the mask. But I was certain. The one standing in front of me wasn't Edelgard. At least, it couldn't be the Edelgard I knew.

My heart was racing. The heart that shouldn't beat was pounding in my chest, as if it was going to rip out.

The Flame Emperor shook his head. "A great miscalculation indeed."

Before I could act, light flashed and a Crest bloomed in front of the Flame Emperor.

My eyes widened. I recognized. But it was one that the players couldn't use, one that none of the characters possessed in the game. One lost to history, only accessible through the Dragon Signs in a new game plus.

The Crest of Aubin appeared in front of the Flame Emperor, sending out a white light that froze me in place. Taking advantage of that fact, the Flame Emperor advanced, his sword thrust towards my heart.

And then my left arm burned, catching on fire. The light cast by the Crest of Aubin was drawn in and then sent back at the Flame Emperor.

He staggered backwards, but those unnatural golden eyes were locked on me the entire time.

I took a step back and gasped. My breath was ragged, and everyone I took sent steam and crimson vapor into the air.

Sothis appeared at my side and said, "This is your limit, Byleth! We have to go back, now!"

"Not… yet!"

One more slash. I had to cut that mask and reveal the person beneath it. If I did, if I could find out exactly who that person was, then-

"Turn back the hands of time."

I froze.

A distorted voice echoed throughout the rooftop and then time slowed, color bleeding out from the world. But as the color faded, violet light shone, tracing out a familiar Crest. One that only three people in this world should possess.

The Crest of Flames.

Sothis's eyes widened and she pointed at the Flame Emperor. "Impo-"

_CRACK._

* * *

_The blue star obscures all of heaven and earth. Time shatters, bound by conviction. _

_The inverted world, the fool reversed._

_A shadow cast upon Fate._

* * *

Time froze and world spun in reverse.

Images flashed through my mind. Memories of everything that had occurred in the past day. Sparring at the training ground. Talking with Ferdinand and Dorothea. Revealing things to Hanneman. The events of today flashed by in reverse order, dissolving into mist.

But it didn't stop there.

Memories from yesterday began streaming as well, flowing into the void. Talking with my dad. The sparring sessions. The faculty meeting.

Even more memories were replaying, time being unwound like a thread pulling away from a tapestry. Faster and faster.

I saw me jumping in front of Edelgard. Saw me meeting the three lords and deciding to save them. Saw me walking out my house with my dad and Clark to find out what was going on. And then…

A ceiling with wooden rafters. A dirty windowpane set inside a worn out wooden frame. One unvarnished and smoothed by hand.

I felt the familiar sensation of the Divine Pulse settling on the scene, heard the crackling as time began to settle… but then it didn't. The vision I saw rippled, like a reflection in a pond. This time, instead of scenes playing in reverse, they played in fast forward.

The days I spent at the monastery unfolded how I remembered them, racing forward at a rate surpassing when they were unwound.

Today was reached, and then the images and memories began to slow, coming to a screeching halt.

_CRACK._

I heard time shatter, the Divine Pulse throwing me back into reality.

Edelgard and Hubert stood across from me.

Petra stood at my right side.

And then Sothis stood in front of me, her arms outstretched before a giant golden circle.

When I saw that, my eyes widened.

"Sothis, you-"

Through that circle, I saw fractured pieces of time. The memories that had been unwound, forcibly pieced back together. But not only that…

Silver Snow.

Azure Moon.

Verdant Wind.

Crimson Flower.

Scenes from paths 'I' didn't take were flickering beyond that circle.

Sothis turned around to look at me. Blood was streaming down the corners of her mouth and her face was pale. Despite that, she smiled and said, "I shall… leave the rest for you. I believe… that I will need a bit of rest after this, By… leth…"

When Sothis finished speaking, she fell over, dissolving into golden light.

I panicked for a moment, but I could still feel the connection between us. It was as strong as ever, so it seemed like she would be fine. Hopefully.

No, judging from the shape she was in, then that Flame Emperor that turned back time to begin with wouldn't be much better.

But even so, that guy would know what happened. Then-

"Hubert, cast a shield to block the northwest! Everyone else, to the wagon! It's an enemy ambush!"

"What?" Edelgard shook her head. "Professor, you-"

The sound of bowstrings being plucked. Light, barely audible.

"Tch!" I didn't react in time. No, that Flame Emperor guy reacted faster.

"Change of plans! Just get everyone into the wagon, now!"

Divine Pulse had sent me back in the past, but that didn't mean everything was like it was at the start.

I didn't know half of what was going on, but I knew that this time would be different.

The light that the Flame Emperor used, the Crest of Aubin… it was brief, but that pattern had burned into my left arm. A blinding white light that halted everything in its path, preventing movement for a split second.

I didn't know how it worked just yet, but I didn't need to.

"Freeze!"

White light bloomed and the arrows in the sky froze. No, not just the arrows, but the air itself, preventing anything from crossing that space.

Edelgard's eyes grew wide. "What on-"

I spun around and ran towards Linhardt and the others.

"No time! Run!"

I threw Ferdinand and Caspar over my shoulders and started running back to the wagon.

"Argh… I knew I should have stayed home today!" Bernadetta groaned but then started running as well.

Dorothea ran beside her and said, "This is a bit too exciting for a class lesson, isn't it?!"

Linhardt ran after me, heaving a deep sigh. "Maybe I should have just slept in…"

Thankfully, with my distraction, we managed to get to the wagon safely. The trip also woke up Ferdinand and Caspar, meaning all the Black Eagles were ready to go, if not at their best.

But that was good.

"Ferdinand! You're good at horseback, right?"

Ferdinand nodded. "Yes, Professor, but why-"

I grabbed him and tossed him to the horse. "Full gallop, now! Get us back to the monastery!"

After that, I vaulted out of the wagon and jumped on the roof.

There was a whinny, and then the horse broke out into a gallop, sending the wagon rocketing forward.

Screams echoed from the wagon, but I ignored it and focused on the fortress. When I did, I had to rub my eyes.

Violet light flashed across the field and dark mages blinked in and out in groups.

"Freaking warp and rescue strats?!"

Damn. Damn, damn, damn!

What the hell was going on?

The Flame Emperor, the guy being able to use Divine Pulse, and then using warp and rescue strats…

"Argh, I'll worry about it when we're safe!" I ripped a hole in the roof.

Bernadetta screamed. "I'm too young to die!"

"Bernie! Bow and quiver, now!"

Dorothea responded. "Er… I think she fainted Professor."

"For the love of- Petra!"

"Understood, Professor!" An iron bow and full quiver was passed up to me.

I grabbed them and turned towards the approaching mages. Thankfully, they were still far away. Even with the warp and rescue strats, it was taking time. But it was risky to trust in that alone.

"Everyone that can use a bow, grab one! They're on our tails!"

I didn't stop to double check if they were listening. Instead, I notched an arrow and fired.

One, two… a dozen, three dozen. My fingers moved in a blur, loading and firing arrows as fast as I could at the approaching mages.

But just as fast as I shot them, more came back. Impossible shots intercepted the arrows I shot out, knocking them into the ground.

At the same time, the speed of the mages were increasing. It seemed they had adjusted to the rhythm of it and were gaining ground.

Dammit! If I knew this was how Fate was going to compensate for my powers, I would have stuck to canon!

I grit my teeth and placed my hand on my left arm. Just as it looked like I was going to have to do a second bout of suicidal tactics, I heard wingbeats. But they weren't coming from in front of us, but behind. From the monastery.

"Professor!"

I looked up to see someone I never expected.

Seteth flew down towards us riding a wyvern and wielding a halberd. He turned towards me and said, "Quickly, return to the monastery! We will deal with them!" That said, he spun around and flew towards the mages. A battalion of wyvern lords flew down from the sky after him.

…I really needed to get Seteth that fish.

* * *

After a frantic dash back up the mountain resulting in the near death of the steed we borrowed, the Black Eagles and I managed to arrive back at Garreg Mach Monastery.

My students were exhausted and in varying levels of shock. Because of that, the plan was to head back straight to bed. But that plan was interrupted by a commotion at the southern gate.

"Professor Hanneman! Why are you stopping us! Byleth, Edelgard, and everyone else needs us!"

Edelgard raised her head from the wagon and said, "Is that... Dimitri?"

I nodded. "It seems like it." I hopped out of the wagon and walked ahead of the group. "You guys stay put and rest. I'll see what's going on."

That done, I made my way up to the southern gate.

There were a lot of people there. Familiar faces as well.

Dimitri clenched his fist and said, "You saw that light, Professor Hanneman! That was in the direction of the training grounds, where Byleth and the others went! Not only that, but someone attempted to break into the Holy Tomb! What if that was a distraction?! What if El and Byleth are the real targets!?"

Hanneman shook his head. "I forbid it! You are all students-"

"Students who are skilled enough to be on par with the Knights of Seiros! If we don't help, then who will? Captain Jeralt is on a mission, Lady Catherine has yet to return, and a majority of the Knights of Seiros-" Dimitri paused, suddenly noticing me. "…Professor?!"

I gave a small wave, ignoring all the eyes on me, and said, "Heya, Dimitri. What'd we miss?"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

As I said last chapter, I'll be taking a few days to take a break. The next chapter will be on November 4th, both to give me and you guys a bit of a rest from my breakneck pace of updating.

As for the chapter itself, lots of stuff happening and chekhov guns firing. A few others have been placed as well... hopefully that went well. I'll be using the break to reread the story from the beginning to double check.

Other than that, thanks for reading and your input, as always. I hope this chapter was a fun one, and I'll see you all soon.


	29. Once in a Blue Moon

I took advantage of the brief pause due to my surprise appearance and swept my gaze across the southern gate. Like always, the gatekeeper Aidem was there, but he had stepped off to the side at the moment. From the smile on his face, he seemed happy to see us safe as well, but he had chosen to let Professor Hanneman handle the situation.

As for what that situation was…

Dimitri stood at the southern gate, suited up to go to war. A silver axe was strapped to his back and a pair of steel swords were sheathed at his sides. In addition to that, he carried a silver lance, one already stained crimson in parts. That was startling enough, but then there was his outfit.

Rather than the uniform of the Officers Academy, Dimitri had changed into a full suit of black platemail. No cloak or fancy ornaments, just practicality. Instead of the polite prince and house leader of the Blue Lions, Dimitri looked more like a hardened knight guiding his troops out to war. Like the Tempest King from Crimson Flower. Even his hair, so carefully groomed, was now scattered about him in a wild mane.

But he wasn't the only one suited for battle.

In the back, I saw Annette standing with an iron axe over her right shoulder and wearing leather armor.

Mercedes stood beside her, wearing a long white robe and carrying a healing staff. A magic bow was strapped to her back, and from the half-empty quiver at her side, it seemed to have had some use.

Sylvain and Ingrid were on horseback, both wearing armor and carrying steel lances.

Felix, like the stand-off guy he was, leaned against the southern gate wall off to the side. Maybe because he was confident in his skill, or maybe because he was the last person to be called, he was still in his student uniform. The only difference were the two swords strapped on his left side, both killing edges from what I could see.

Ashe covered the rear of the party, wearing a long blue tunic with leather shoulder pads and a silver bow strapped onto his back with its quiver at his side.

The last member of the Blue Lions, Dedue, stood silently beside Dimitri in a towering suit of armor. The armored knight class, it looked like. But instead of wielding a shield and axe like I would have expected, the man of Duscur wore a pair of spiked gauntlets.

After taking in everyone's appearance, I realized it. Not only were the Blue Lions suited up for war, but they didn't look half-hearted about it. From their equipment as well as the way they carried themselves, each of the Blue Lions looked like they'd already been through countless encounters.

A battle-hardened battallion led by Dimitri, ready and willing to charge out of the monastery.

Standing against those troops was Hanneman. Unlike his students, Hanneman was dressed as he always was: beige coat, monocle, dress shirt, pants, and tie. However, his determination to stop the Blue Lions seemed as strong as their determination to leave.

The brief pause ended. Dimitri recovered from his shock and ran over. "Professor- no, Byleth!" He placed his hands on my shoulders and scanned me from head to toe. "You're safe!"

I winced. Dimitri's enthusiasm meant he had forgotten to hold back his strength. Coupled with his armor, my shoulders stung from the force of his hands.

Dimitri noticed my expression and took a step back. "My apologies. It's just… I was concerned. With those unknown forces sneaking into the Holy Tomb and then that light-" He paused and then looked around. "Wait. Where's El and the rest of the Black Eagles? Don't tell me-"

Hanneman turned around towards me and said, "Relax, young Dimitri. Byleth would not have returned without his students." He walked over and said, "I trust they are unharmed?" He asked that as a question, but it was said in the tone of someone saying it more out of formality than actual concern. From the calm gaze he gave me, it was clear that he never doubted their safety.

It took me a moment to realize why, and then I remembered that he thought I was the incarnation of the goddess. Which wasn't wrong. And considering that I actually did pull us out from a bad end… even if it was a bit roundabout and still dangerous, I guess that faith wasn't misplaced.

I nodded and said, "They're fine. Tired, but fine."

As if on cue, Ferdinand rode up to the gate, leading the wagon carrying the other Black Eagles behind him. He looked towards me and said, "I apologize, Professor. But Edelgard suggested that it would be best for us to enter the monastery as soon as possible."

I frowned, and then realized that made sense. There was still the risk of attackers laying in wait. I hadn't detected that sniper shooting Dorothea down until it was too late, so it would be dangerous to stay in the open where they could still attack us. Even so close to the monastery, that was a distinct possibility while we were outside its protective walls.

One by one, the Black Eagles started exiting the wagon.

Dorothea, her uniform a bit scuffed but alive and uninjured this time.

Bernadetta, her hood pulled up and clinging to Dorothea's back, avoiding eye contact with anyone else.

Caspar, carrying a sleeping Linhardt over his shoulders.

Petra, fiddling with a small knife at her waist, her eyes carefully scanning the surroundings for enemies.

Hubert, calm and quiet with an iron sword sheathed at his waist.

Ferdinand hopped off the horse and then walked over towards me, the rest of the Black Eagles doing so as well.

Dimitri stared at everyone and then turned towards me and said, "Where's El, Byleth? Did she-"

A sigh echoed from the wagon and then Edelgard stepped out. "I thought you had grown out of calling me by that childish name, Dimitri."

The prince coughed. "Yes, that is… Ahem." He shook his head and said, "I am glad to see that you and the rest of the Black Eagles are safe, Edelgard."

Edelgard walked up to stand beside me. With that, the Blue Lions and the Black Eagles were standing face to face against each other.

Edelgard in front of Dimitri, and me in front of Hanneman with the rest of the students behind us.

For a split moment, the atmosphere was tense. The fact that the Blue Lions were completely armed and ready to set off to battle didn't go unnoticed. Not only that, but there was a caution in their eyes, suspicion.

Edelgard scanned Dimitri, her eyes quickly taking in his weapons, and she frowned. "Is that so," she said. "Then would you care to explain why you've led the entire Blue Lions house here while armed to the teeth?"

I wasn't sure who did it, but behind me I heard someone start to unsheath a blade.

In response, Dedue narrowed his eyes and slowly raised his hands, settling into a combat stance.

Dimitri quickly turned and said, "Dedue! Back down!"

"Your Majesty-"

"Back! Down! The rest of you as well!"

I nodded and turned towards my students. "You guys can relax. Everyone's just a bit on edge after what happened. Right, Dimitri?"

The prince visibly relaxed at my words. "That's right. It has been… unexpected, to say the least."

The atmosphere seemed to lighten a bit, but the tension hadn't completely dissipated.

Half of the Blue Lions, specifically Annette, Mercedes, and Ashe calmed down when they heard Dimitri's order. However, the other half hadn't. Even Sylvain, the usual light-hearted flirt, was cautious. His eyes were narrowed, carefully observing me and Edelgard. After a moment he said, "You sure this is the right call, Dimitri? Some of those guys down there were-"

"Enough, Sylvain!"

Sylvain held up his hands and said, "Fine! You're the prince after all. But take it from me." He stared at Edelgard and said, "Don't let a girl blind you to what's really going on."

Hubert stepped forward. "And what is that supposed to mean, Gautier?"

Sylvain smiled. "Why don't you ask your Lady Edelgard over there? I'm sure she knows."

"Sylvain!" Dimitri shouted.

Sylvain shook his head and said, "I'm heading back. Ingrid?"

The blonde female knight shook her head and said, "I'll stay here for a while longer, Sylvain."

"Fine by me. I'll be in the dining hall then."

With that, Sylvain left.

Shortly after, Felix scoffed and walked off as well.

Seeing that, I turned to my students and said, "If any of you are tired, you can leave too. It's been a long day."

Dorothea stretched and said, "Don't mind if I do, Professor. A bath sounds nice right about now." She tilted her head back and said, "Care to join me, Bernie?"

The purple-haired archer's response was to cling tighter to Dorothea's back.

"…I take it that means yes?"

"Ooh!" Annette hooked her axe behind her and said, "Can me and Mercie join you, Dory? It's been a while since we've had girl talk!"

Mercedes nodded. "Yes, that sounds quite nice." She looked towards Dorothea and said, "I hope you don't mind?"

Dorothea shook her head. "Not at all. I could use a bit of down time after today."

With that, the four girls left.

Caspar turned towards me and said, "I should probably drop Linhardt off at his room, Prof. Is it alright if I head off too?"

I waved my hand and said, "Go ahead. I've got a feeling this chat will probably take a while. If there's anything important, I'll make the rounds tomorrow morning and tell everyone."

"Got it." Caspar nodded and said, "Then I'll see you later, Prof!" He jogged off towards the dormitories in the main building of the monastery, carrying Linhardt with him.

I glanced towards Ferdinand and Petra. "Either of you want to leave too?"

Ferdinand shook his head. "As Edelgard's future right hand, how could I?"

Hubert scoffed. "That remains to be seen, Ferdinand… but your devotion is noted."

Petra frowned and then shook her head. "I will be staying, Professor." She eyed Dedue who still hadn't completely relaxed and said, "Just for case."

"It's 'just in case'… and I don't think that's necessary, but alright."

That left half of the Blue Lions and half of the Black Eagles.

Dimitri stared at me and then turned his head back slightly. "Dedue, Ingrid, and Ashe. You're dismissed."

Dedue's eyes widened and he turned towards Dimitri. "Your Majesty-"

Dimitri shook his head. "Trust me, Dedue. It will be fine."

Ingrid stepped forward. She glanced at Edelgard and frowned. "Your Highness, I don't know about this…"

Ashe grabbed her shoulder and then shook his head. "His Highness will be fine, Ingrid. And aren't you hungry? Come on, let's go get some dinner. I'm sure that he'll tell us if anything important happens later."

Ingrid looked hesitant but then nodded. "You have a point, Ashe."

Ashe turned towards Dedue and said, "Dedue?"

"…Very well." The man of Duscur nodded and then turned around to leave.

Dimitri smiled and said, "Thank you, Ashe."

The gray-haired archer smiled back and waved.

After they left, Edelgard turned towards Hubert and said, "You should leave as well, Hubert."

Hubert frowned. "Lady Edelgard-"

Edelgard shook her head. "Did you forget what you need to do?"

Hubert was silent and then nodded. "Understood, Lady Edelgard." After that, he left as well.

I glanced towards Ferdinand and Petra and said, "Get some rest, you two. Edelgard and I will handle it from here."

Ferdinand nodded. "Then… as you say, Professor. Come, Petra."

The Brigid princess still seemed a bit conflicted, but eventually went along with Ferdinand.

That left just me and Edelgard with Dimitri and Hanneman. Well, and Aidem, but he was being respectfully quiet off to the side.

I turned towards Dimitri and said, "So. I'm guessing we missed a lot, didn't we?"

Dimitri sighed. "That is probably the understatement of the century, Byleth. You see-"

Before he could continue, rapid footsteps echoed from the distance.

Rhea ran towards the gate, clutching the Sword of Seiros in her right hand and the Seiros Shield in her left. Although she was still wearing her Archbishop robes, her headpiece had fallen off and her hair was messy, windswept behind her.

Her green eyes were narrowed in focus, but from the way her eyes scanned every face she passed, it seemed that she was worried.

When Rhea saw me, she visibly relaxed and slowed down. "Byleth!" She stepped forward, her arms wide as if she wanted to pull me into a hug. Before she did though, she forcibly stopped herself and lowered her arms. "Thank the Goddess you are safe!"

I nodded.

Thank the Goddess indeed. If not for Sothis… none of this would be happening. Not only that, but I'd probably be stuck back in the past without a hint of who did it or what had happened.

Hanneman coughed and said, "Lady Rhea. Perhaps we might adjourn to a different location?" He glanced towards the gatekeeper and said, "There is much to discuss and I do not believe this is the best place for it."

"Ah. Yes." Rhea nodded. "You have a point, Hanneman." She turned towards me and said, "Shall we finish this conversation in my chambers?"

Beside me, while it was only for a brief moment, I saw Edelgard tense up.

Was she nervous about being along with Rhea? Did she think Rhea might suspect something?

I didn't know and I didn't have the chance to ask her. All I knew was that the following conversation would be… interesting, to say the least.

* * *

The sound of tea pouring echoed in the room. Rhea placed the filled tea cup on a saucer and slid it towards me. "Here you are, Byleth."

I took the cup with a brief nod.

Rhea smiled and turned towards Edelgard, seated to my left. "Would you like some tea as well, Miss Hresvelg?"

"…Yes. That would be lovely."

If Rhea noticed that brief pause in Edelgard's words, she didn't show it. Instead, she set out dutifully pouring another cup of tea like a gracious host.

As Rhea had suggested, we had moved up to her room to have our conversation. However, she thought it wouldn't do to have such serious talk with a serious atmosphere as well, so she set about making tea and bringing out sweets to lighten the mood.

We were all seated at a rectangular wooden table off to the side of the stained-glass window in Rhea's room. A three-tiered platter of sweets sat in the middle, with a pile of plates stacked beside it. Silver tongs hung along the edge of the platter, to be used in grabbing the sweets.

Rhea sat at the side of the table nearest the stained-glass window. Maybe because she had lost her headpiece and had her hair slightly ruffled by the wind but instead of the usual serene atmosphere, she seemed a bit more homely. Like an aunt prepping treats for her nieces and nephews rather than a potentially genocidal leader of the most powerful religion in Fodlan.

To her right, counter-clockwise around the table, sat Hanneman and Dimitri.

The Crest Scholar was seated closest to Rhea, and he was already sipping on a cup of tea poured out for him.

Dimitri sat to Hanneman's right. While he had a cup of tea as well, he seemed content to wait, sitting quietly with his hands laced against the table. However, his eyes occassionally glanced towards Edelgard before looking away.

As for me and Edelgard, I was seated to Rhea's left side, clockwise on the table. Mostly to calm Edelgard down, but also to see if that could increase my favor with Rhea. So far, both seemed to be working.

Edelgard sat to my left, across from Dimitri. Like the prince, she had yet to either drink any tea or partake in any sweets. Considering her sweet tooth, that told a great deal about her state of mind and her discipline. Still, like how Dimitri tried his best to hide his glances at Edelgard, the Adrestrian princess was doing a poor job of hiding her glances at the sweets.

Rhea poured out a cup of tea for Edelgard and then slid it over towards me. "Pass this to Miss Hresvelg would you, Byleth?"

I nodded and did just that.

Edelgard accepted it without fuss, but I noticed that her fingers twitched when she grabbed the cup. It looked like she wasn't happy about Rhea calling me Byleth.

Still, Edelgard remembered her manners and said, "Thank you, Lady Rhea."

Rhea smiled and said, "It is my pleasure, child."

Edelgard's fingers twitched again, but she managed to control it and sent a smile back at Rhea.

I took a sip from my tea. Sweet, refreshing. I didn't know the name of it, but I recognized the tea as the same that Rhea had served me the last time I was here.

"Now that everyone has settled in," Rhea said. "Shall we begin our discussion?"

"One moment," Hanneman said. He looked around and said, "Where is Manuela? And young Claude?"

I froze.

That's right. Manuela was missing and I hadn't seen Claude or any of the Golden Deer since entering the monastery.

…Could it be that he- No. That didn't make sense. Claude might have been suspicious and seemed to know too much, but for him to be the one behind everything…

Rhea sighed and then poured herself a cup of tea. "I'm afraid that Manuela is indisposed at this time."

Hanneman stood up. "Indisposed?!"

"Calm yourself, Hanneman." Rhea placed the tea kettle on the table and said, "She is fine. I saw to her treatment myself."

"…I see." Hanneman sighed and took his seat. "My apologies. It is just…"

"You are concerned for your colleague. I understand." Rhea nodded. "The monastery's faculty is like a small family after all."

Dimitri frowned and said, "Professor Manuela got hurt? When did this happen?"

Rhea shook her head. "I do not know when, but on my way to speak with Seteth I happened to notice her unconscious in her room. Blood poured from a wound on her back. Fortunately, by the Goddess's grace, I did not arrive too late. Sir Gilbert is watching over her at this moment along with Shamir."

Gilbert and Shamir?

I frowned. They weren't supposed to be back this early… were the ripples really happening this quickly?

Dimitri sighed. "What a relief. With Sir Gilbert watching over her, there will be no need for concern. Though… I am unaware of Shamir?"

"She is a trusted companion of mine," Rhea said. "Rest assured that Manuela is in the best of hands."

Edelgard furrowed her brows and said, "What of Claude, Lady Rhea?"

"Hm?" Rhea turned towards me and said, "Did you not tell her, Byleth?"

I blinked. "Tell her what?"

Rhea frowned. "Claude had informed me that he and the Golden Deer were departing on a mission to find the one who attacked Manuela. He said that he had already sent you a missive and you agreed to join forces with them outside of the monastery." She paused. "I take it this never occurred?"

I shook my head. "We were attacked during our training session and never saw any other students on our way back."

Suspicion crept up in my heart.

Edelgard seemed to realize it as well and she frowned.

"Wait," Dimitri said. "Claude was the one who told us about the Holy Tomb being attacked and that Byleth had taken the Black Eagles out on a training trip. Not only that, but he warned that there might be some people trying to stir up trouble in the middle of everything happening… How could he have left the monastery with the Golden Deer?"

"Hm?" Hanneman turned to Dimitri. "You did not mention this, Dimitri."

The prince shook his head. "I'm afraid it slipped my mind in the chaos of what occurred."

Claude was the one who warned Dimitri about the attack? Not only that, but he knew that we were going to be out on a training trip? Well, the latter was believable considering how he could have overheard from one of my students or asking around the staff, but the former…

And then there was the fact that Dorothea had been shot down by an archer…

I didn't want to believe it, but there were too many things lining up about Claude, and none of them were good.

Rhea frowned. "You mean to say that it was Claude who warned you of the Holy Tomb being attacked?"

"Hm?" Dimitri shook his head. "Well… he didn't say that exactly. It was more along the lines of telling us to keep an eye on the gazebos and to not take things at face value. It was just luck that I remembered the Holy Tomb's entrance was there. With that, I put two and two together and rallied the Blue Lions to defend it."

Silence. Quiet enough to hear the soft breeze blowing from beyond the stained-glass window.

Dimitri paused and looked around. "Did I misspeak?"

Rhea narrowed her eyes. "…Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd. Tell me. How did you know that the Holy Tomb rested there? No… how do you know of the Holy Tomb's existence at all?"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I hope you all had a good Halloween! Back to the grind for me. Also, it's nanowrimo. Almost completely forgot about it. I kind of already did it for October already with this though, so I win a month early? Well, this isn't quite done yet, but I doubled 50k so that's kind of a win?

Anyway, the ripples are catching up hard and fast with our MC. Not too sure exactly how big those ripples are going to get quite yet, but we're definitely diverging from canon from this point on. Some things will remain the same, but others... well, we'll see.

Thanks for continuing to read and give input. I know the latter can be hard to do with how much I'm writing, but I'm just glad that it seems to be enjoyable.

Not much else to say except thanks as always and see you soon.


	30. Silver Snow Scatters

Dimitri shook his head and said, "I-I believe I read it in a book somewhere. I have been doing a lot of research in the library recently and-"

"The existence of the Holy Tomb, let alone its location, is a tightly kept secret that only myself and two others know." Rhea stood up and stared at Dimitri, her eyes sharp. "There are no written records of it in existence. Of that I am absolutely certain. Thus… how do you know of it, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd? How do you know of a secret that not even the first Adrestrian Emperor knew?"

Hanneman glanced between Dimitri and Rhea and said, "Now I'm sure there has been a misunderstanding, Lady Rhea." He glanced at Dimitri and said, "Perhaps you meant the Holy Mausoleum, Dimitri?"

Dimitri quickly nodded. "Yes! That's right. I must have been confused." He gave a nervous laugh and said, "With the attack and the stress-"

"I do not believe you." Rhea kept staring at Dimitri, as if trying to peer into his very soul. At the same time, her hands slowly wrapped around the hilt of the Sword of Seiros leaning against her chair. "Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd. Descendent of one of the Ten Elites… you are hiding something. Doing so would be most unwise." She looked over to Hanneman and said, "And you, Hanneman. Why are you attempting to conceal his knowledge?"

A sharp tension was in the air. Rhea seemed on the verge of going full Seiros and throwing away her benevolent persona entirely.

Dimitri seemed to realize that fact. "I… that is to say…" He glanced over at me, his eyes pleading for help.

I was quiet and didn't immediately act.

Rhea had a point. I didn't think much about it at when we arrived at the southern gate, mostly due to the fact that time had just been sent back by someone not me or Sothis and that Sothis had been laid out in the aftermath. However, now that Rhea brought it up, I realized just how odd it was for Dimitri to know about the Holy Tomb.

In the game, the Holy Tomb was a well-guarded secret. Mechanically, it could only be accessed by the player with the use of Fire Emblem amiibos, something the casual player wouldn't have access to, or even know about in a normal playthrough. Storywise, when the time came for Byleth to visit the Holy Tomb after merging with Sothis, all of the students he took along were surprised to find out about it when they were selected to go along, as well as the fact that it even existed. To them, it was a legend, more myth than history. The place where Saint Seiros received her revelation from the Goddess.

So how did Dimitri know? No… more than that, how did Claude know that it was going to be attacked today of all days? I could understand it if Dimitri said that either he or Claude overheard the invaders mentioning it, but from how Dimitri spoke about it, he seemed to know about the Holy Tomb before all of that.

He couldn't have learned about it from Solon or the library, since Dimitri would have said that. It was an easy out too. But he didn't, which said a lot. And also brought up a lot of questions that I needed answers to. Answers only Dimitri would know.

I glanced at Rhea to gauge her reaction.

Before, she was simply reaching for her sword. However, while I was thinking, she had gone ahead and picked it up, causing light to flash. It was clear that the wrong answer from Dimitri or Hanneman wouldn't end up with them just being thrown into jail and being interrogated.

Edelgard looked concerned as well, but also too cautious to speak out.

In that case…

"I told him."

…It was up to me.

Rhea froze and then slowly turned to look at me.

Edelgard did as well. She leaned over and whispered, "What are you doing, my Professor?!"

"Byleth?" Rhea stared at me, slowly lowering her sword. "What do you mean? You… told him?"

I mentally weighed the pros and cons of a few options in my head before settling on a mix of the truth and a lie. "I learned about it from a vision with the goddess." One from the game, but a valid interpretation of the events. "In it, I saw that her final resting place lay beneath the monastery and that the entrances were within the gazebos near the main building." I carefully put on a frown and said, "I thought it might be important to keep an eye on, so I told Dimitri about it just in case."

To Rhea, it was believable. At least in part. It also diverted her attention away from Dimitri and to the potential that I might be seeing more of Sothis than I let on.

To Dimitri, it was an easy way out, one that made him visibly relax. Although also one that made him confused.

Hanneman took it at face value, probably from his faith in me being Sothis's incarnation.

And Edelgard… from her careful and scrutinizing gaze, it seemed that she didn't buy my story. Though it also seemed like she wouldn't call it out either. Small things to be thankful for, I guess.

Rhea shook her head and then slowly sat down. She placed the Sword of Seiros back against her chair, causing the light to fade, and then turned to me. "You did not think to mention this to me? Or to your father?"

Considering that it never came to my mind to even think about the Holy Tomb until just a few seconds ago, obviously not. But I couldn't say that, so I shrugged. "I figured that you probably had it under lock and key. This was just for my own piece of mind."

"And did you tell anyone else?" Rhea glanced towards Edelgard and said, "Any of your other students?"

Since I hadn't really even told Dimitri, I shook my head. "None."

Rhea sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "So this is how Seteth must feel… I should give him some proper time off to spend with Flayn."

I glanced at Dimitri, trying my best to signal for him to keep quiet with my eyes.

Thankfully, Hanneman seemed to pick up on it and quickly whispered into Dimitri's ears.

The prince's eyes widened and he gave a brief nod towards me.

Rhea shook her head. "I suppose I should have expected this. After that vision…" She sighed. "Very well. This matter is settled. However." She fixed both Dimitri and Edelgard with a stern stare. "Let it be known to you and your peers that any discussion of the Holy Tomb is punishable by death. Do not take knowledge of it lightly. If I catch even the slightest hint that you have allowed that knowledge to spread…" She didn't finish her sentence, but the sharp gaze she sent the two lords made words unnecessary.

Dimitri quickly nodded. "Understood, Lady Rhea."

Edelgard paused for a brief moment and then nodded as well. "As you say, Lady Rhea."

"Good." Rhea smiled, almost immediately snapping back to her benevolent Archbishop persona. "Then… Dimitri. Tell me exactly what happened in the Holy Tomb. Who were the ones attacking?"

"That…" Dimitri glanced at Edelgard briefly.

Rhea noticed and turned to look at her as well.

"What is it?" Edelgard managed to keep a neutral expression in spite of being fixed with their gazes. However, from the way her hands were tightly grasped around her tea cup, I could tell that she was nervous. "Do not tell me that you believe I was the one responsible for this? As you know, I along with the Black Eagles were out to train. Furthermore, we were attacked."

Rhea frowned.

Dimitri spoke again before Rhea could get any ideas. "It's not that. Simply… the ones attacking the Holy Tomb were a strange mix of individuals and allegiances."

Rhea looked at Dimitri and said, "Explain."

Dimitri nodded. "As I said, I rallied the Blue Lions to defend the Holy Tomb. Knowing that it was important and that anyone who tried to invade it would be well prepared, we made sure that were ready for any and everything going in."

Hanneman shook his head. "And you neglected to inform me, Dimitri? I had thought you placed more trust in your professor."

"I apologize, Professor Hanneman. However, we felt that there was no time to lose. And when we entered the Holy Tomb, we were proven correct." Dimitri frowned. "There was a platoon of soldiers lying in wait down there. Over three dozen. However… what was odd was that they all seemed to carry different allegiances."

I frowned. Different allegiances…?

Dimitri continued. "Most of them were men in dark robes and eerie bird-like masks. However, I also saw some men bearing the flag of the Empire. And from how they fought, it was no mere guise."

Edelgard stood up. "Are you certain, Dimitri?"

Dimitri turned towards her and nodded. "Yes, Edelgard. I am… more than familiar with the fighting style of Imperial Soldiers. Because of that, I can say with certainty that a portion of the forces attacking the Holy Tomb were from the Empire." He shook his head. "Fortunately, it seemed that they were not expecting anyone to find them. That, and they seemed to not expect the barrier protecting the inner halls of the Holy Tomb either. As a result, while a hard fight, we managed to emerge victorious."

Rhea frowned and said, "And what of those invaders that survived the encounter? What did you do with them?"

Dimitri frowned. "Well… it appeared that they were determined to take their secrets with them to the grave. While we managed to capture a few men, strange dark magic erupted from their bodies and enveloped them, leaving no traces behind."

That… sounded a lot like a setup by the Agarthans. But how? The Holy Tomb was protected and shouldn't be known about at this point. Edelgard only found out after Byleth merged with Sothis and Rhea showed the way.

Was I not the only one time traveling here? I mean, it was obvious that the Flame Emperor could do so as well, but I hadn't detected any uses of Divine Pulse until that moment. Could it be that me using the Divine Pulse so often tipped off Solon enough for him to prepare or even reverse-engineer it? That doing so gave them enough of Sothis's mana to find the Holy Tomb?

In that case, Edelgard should know about that, right? The Adrestrian Princess was working with the Agarthans to fulfill her ambition. Leaving something that big out…

I glanced at Edelgard to check her reaction.

Her face was pale. Edelgard looked genuinely shocked, her usual composure completely gone.

Rhea turned towards Edelgard and said, "Miss Hresvelg. Would you have any idea as to why Imperial soldiers would sneak into the monastery? No, of how they were aware of the Holy Tomb to begin with?"

Edelgard slowly shook her head. "I… do not. The only rational explanation would be that my uncle sent them, but…"

Hanneman frowned. "Lord Arundel?" He shook his head. "That makes little sense. He is a devout follower of the Church and even took you to Faerghus to avoid the fallout of the Insurrection of the Seven. For him to send the troops…" Hanneman's frown deepened. "No. To begin with, how could he have been aware of the Holy Tomb? Lady Rhea has said such records do not exist, even to the First Emperor."

Edelgard nodded. "I agree. There is no reason for him to be acting like this and no means for him to know of it." She frowned and placed her hand on her chin.

Lord Arundel. He was Edelgard's uncle, but also the leader of Those Who Slithered In The Dark: Thales. Whether he was always Thales or whether Arundel had been killed and replaced sometime after the Insurrection of the Seven wasn't made clear in the game. However, at the moment, he should be Thales.

Edelgard said that there shouldn't be a reason for him to be acting like this. That meant that she was under the impression they were still working together and that their plans hadn't changed.

But from what Dimitri said and from how we were attacked, it seemed that either their plans had changed or they were starting to go against Edelgard. That much could be seen from how they had replaced Edelgard with someone else. Another person bearing the Crest of Flames and even able to use the Divine Pulse… or at least something similar.

I felt a surge of panic. Things were slowly unravelling, spinning out of control. Any information I might have had about the future seemed worthless at this point… no. Not completely.

_Calm down._

Manuela was still stabbed. The Flame Emperor existed. The Holy Tomb was attacked by a combination of Imperial soldiers and the Agarthans.

Key events remained, but the timing and the cause changed.

That meant that the important things would still be coming, that the key scenarios and chapters would still occur.

What did I remember?

Flayn would get kidnapped. The Lance of Ruin would be stolen. Lonato would rebel.

Remire village would suffer under Solon's experiments. Students would get turned into monsters after the ball.

The Battle of the Eagle and Lion would be coming up… Since the Holy Tomb failed, they would probably still try to raid the Holy Mausoleum during the Rite of Rebirth.

My father's death, Solon casting Zahras.

…That should be it. The key story events.

It seemed that convergence was still a thing, Fate operating on the attractor field theory. The only difference was that the timing was being pushed off. Delayed rather than completely erased.

"Byleth?"

Rhea's voice drew me out of my thoughts.

I looked up to see everyone staring at me.

"Did you realize something?" Rhea asked.

I shook my head. "Sorry. I was just thinking about how odd everything was. Too many coincidences are happening… too much to be just happenstance."

Rhea nodded. "I agree. There must be something at work here. Some invisible hand pulling strings from behind the scenes-" She froze, her eyes widening.

Hanneman noticed that and said, "Lady Rhea?"

She shook her head. "It is nothing. Only… I realized that there is something I must check. But it is not that important. Instead… I believe I have yet to hear of your story, Byleth. And yours as well, Miss Hresvelg. What happened to you and the Black Eagles?"

I frowned. "Well, it was supposed to be a simple training trip. As you know, the mock battle is coming up next week. Because of that, and because I wasn't confident in directing my students when facing Hanneman and Manuela, I thought it would be good to give everyone a chance to both familiarize themselves with the terrain and each other's fighting styles."

Hanneman shook his head. "I believe you are giving us too much credit and yourself too little, Byleth. However, such a course of action is understandable."

Rhea nodded. "And then what?"

"Then… during our second bout of sparring, I noticed a volley of arrows. There was an unknown force targeting me and the students." I shook my head and said, "Thankfully, I managed to stop them and get everyone to the wagon before there were any injuries."

"And the light?"

"…Light?"

Rhea nodded and then stared at me. "There was a powerful disturbance in the air. A pure white light- no, a power that had been lost to ages. Did you see what the cause was?"

"That-"

Edelgard spoke up. "Lady Rhea. Might we be dismissed?"

"Hm?" Rhea glanced at Edelgard and frowned. "Dismissed?"

I looked at Edelgard as well. Wasn't she nervous about Rhea catching on to her by acting like this?

Edelgard nodded. "It has been a long day for us all, including my Professor. He expended quite a bit of effort to allow us to return safely." She turned to look at Dimitri and said, "And I believe that you are tired as well, are you not, Dimitri?"

"Ah, yes." Dimitri nodded. "It has been an exhausting day."

Rhea looked frustrated, but she let out a sigh. "You have a point, Miss Hresvelg." She shook her head and looked at me. "Forgive me, Byleth. However, the return of such power… if it is in the wrong hands could be terrible. I hope you understand."

I nodded. "I do."

And it was. The Flame Emperor using that on me… if it wasn't for the fact that my artificial magic crest managed to throw it off and replicate it, I'd be dead.

…Though that brought to mind all sorts of questions about my crest itself, but that was for later.

Rhea smiled and then looked to Edelgard. "I must apologize to you as well, Miss Hresvelg." She sighed and said, "I know that the Empire has placed a great deal of trust in us to protect her future emperor. I hope that this incident will not reflect negatively on our relations going forward."

Edelgard shook her head. "Not at all, Lady Rhea. It is understandable." Her eyes narrowed. "Moreover, if there are traitors running around and tarnishing the name of the Adrestrian Empire, all the better to be rid of them now then when I rise to power."

"Thank you." Rhea bowed her head and said, "Then, please, have a pleasant evening everyone. Ah, and you need not worry about any further incidents tonight. I have activated quite a few hidden defenses to ensure it. Rather…" She smiled, a cold expression at odds with her serene eyes. "I hope that some fools dare to try and act up again."

Hanneman nodded and stood up. "In that case, I shall leave first." He frowned and said, "I am concerned about Manuela. It wouldn't do to ignore my colleague when she is in need."

Rhea smiled. "Of course, Hanneman. If you wish to see her, she should be in her chambers, watched over by Sir Gilbert and Shamir. I trust you know where that is?"

"I do." He glanced at me and nodded. "A good evening to you, Byleth. Young Edelgard."

With that, Hanneman left.

Dimitri stood up next and said, "I should go and calm down the Blue Lions." He glanced out the window and said, "They must be worried now."

"Understood, Dimitri." Rhea nodded and said, "Please, do your best to calm your peers. And, if they have any concerns, tell them that they are free to address them to me."

Dimitri paused and then nodded. "As you say, Lady Rhea." He turned towards me and Edelgard. "Good night, Professor. El- Edelgard."

After that, he left as well.

Edelgard sighed and stood up next. "I should send a letter to my uncle to clarify the situation. It would be… troublesome for him to act on unreliable sources of information." She glanced at me and said, "Also, I have something I wish to discuss with you later, my Professor. Please, do not turn into bed too early."

Something to discuss, huh? I nodded and said, "Got it, Delly. I'll keep the midnight oil burning."

Edelgard flushed, though out of anger or embarrassment I didn't know. Still, it looked like that calmed her nerves down a bit since she gave me a faint smile before leaving.

And then I was alone with Rhea.

* * *

It was quiet, so I took a sip from my tea. Again, it was sweet and refreshing.

Rhea stared at me and said, "Is something the matter, Byleth? Or could it be that you find my company so charming you are unwilling to leave?" She finished that with a slight teasing smile.

Odd. Very odd.

I went over what I remembered of Rhea from the game, as well as what I had experienced since arriving here.

…At a time like this, I wished Sothis was here with me to get a second opinion, but considering that she was still unconscious, I'd have to wing it.

Rhea's smile faded when I didn't respond. "Byleth? If something is troubling you, know that you are free to tell me. Though I may be the Archbishop, I want you to know that I consider both you and your father as family, not mere coworkers."

There it was. The mention of family… but that word lacked the obsessive drive that should be present. The almost terrifying and narrow-minded yearning that allowed her to burn a city to the ground when she took back up the name of Seiros was absent.

Paired with how she had been treating me… not clinging to me, but rather genuine concern…

I decided to risk it.

"My dad told me about my mother."

Rhea's eyes widened. "Did he now?"

I nodded and turned to look at Rhea.

She did her best to smooth her expression, but I could see the emotions stirring in her eyes.

Expectation.

Doubt.

Regret.

…Guilt.

Those were the emotions I saw in Rhea's eyes. The obsession I noted the first time I saw her was nowhere to be seen.

I remembered the memories that played out in Sothis's magic circle before she collapsed. The connected memories of the four paths.

Because of that…

"Her name was Iris."

…I decided to try it out. If I was wrong… well, things were already so out of whack that I didn't have much to lose. But if I was right about this, that answered a key question of mine.

"Iris…?" Rhea's eyes became distant. "That is a name I have not heard in… many years." She shook her head and stared at me. "And you are certain of this? That your mother's name is… was, Iris?"

"That's right."

Rhea shook her head, a wry smile on her face. "How cruel of him. How terribly, terribly cruel of Jeralt. I had suspected as much, but…" She sighed. "No. I suppose I earned such treatment from him with what I had done…"

With what she had done? Did she mean the Crest Stone, or something else? Normally I would have suspected she was talking about implanting the Crest Stone in Byleth… but my intuition was telling me there was more to the story than just that.

Rhea took a sip from her tea. "I suspect there is more to this than a mere whim on your part, Byleth." She glanced at me and said, "Is there something you wish to know?"

"That's right." I stared at Rhea, carefully observing her expression, and then said, "How did she die? From how my father described her, my mother didn't seem one to die so easily at childbirth."

Rhea was quiet. She averted her gaze from me, looking into her tea cup.

I couldn't see it, but I was sure that she was staring at her reflection there.

"She was not." After a while, Rhea spoke. "The reason she died was due to my selfishness."

"Your selfishness?"

Rhea didn't speak for a moment and then said, "Your mother… tell me, Byleth. What would you give to see your mother again? If there was a hope, just the faintest that you could see her, would you take it? Even if it meant trampling over the lives of countless others?"

My mother… Rhea meant Iris. However, her mentioning that recalled a different face in my mind. One I could barely remember now, but that carried fond emotions. An unconditional love, nagging calls about how I should visit more often.

I felt a pang in my heart, both from Byleth and myself. From that…

"…I would give up a lot."

Rhea smiled, an expression that didn't reach her sad eyes. "I see. Then… I have another question, if you would humor me."

I nodded.

"Say that you grew up without knowing your mother. You were born, hearing only of the wondrous tales surrounding her. Of the miracles she wrought, of the countless she saved. Then, you obtained the opportunity to meet her. To be with her at last… except that she did not wish to see you. Even so, you would give everything to gain her approval, do anything, become anything."

That… would be painful.

Rhea's eyes took on a distant gaze and she continued. "However… however, in the end she disavowed you. Called you another failure and left you to die. Even so, she was your mother. The one who brought you into this world. The one who gave you life. That type of person…"

Rhea looked up at me. Her eyes were pleading, clinging to a faint hope. "The mother in that tale… does she deserve redemption? Does she deserve a second chance at the family she selfishly cast away?"

"I…"

I was shocked. To say the least.

Was Rhea talking about Sothis…? The story fit. Rhea called herself the last child of the goddess in the game. It was possible that, by the time she was born, Sothis had already fallen into a deep slumber. Growing up hearing about her mother who had done so many wonderful things… that must have contributed to her becoming so unhinged after Sothis died. Her entire world- no, the sky itself must have seemed like it had fallen.

Yet… somehow, I got the sense that wasn't what Rhea was talking about. The anguish in her eyes didn't come from someone who was betrayed, but rather someone who had done the betraying. The look of a person who realized her mistake too late and wished to atone… only to realize that she never could. Not completely, at least.

Paired with what she had mentioned about my mother, about Iris…

My eyes widened.

Could it be? The reason for why she was treating me like this… the difference between now and canon…

Rhea shook her head. "No. I suppose it is wrong of me to ask this of you." She let out a long sigh and said, "Forgive me, Byleth. Perhaps the day has been more trying upon me than I believed. Would you kindly leave me be? I have… much to think about."

For a split second, Rhea seemed to age. The seemingly timeless and serene beauty looked for a moment like an old woman mired with regret. But it was an illusion, a trick of the light rather than reality.

…Rhea wasn't the only one with a lot to think about now. First Dimitri and then her…

I nodded and then got out of my chair. "I bid you good night, Lady Rhea." Saying that, I turned around and headed towards the door.

"Ah." Rhea called out. "Before you leave… I wish to say something."

"Hm?" I turned back around to look at her.

Rhea smiled. It was sad and bittersweet. The expression of someone who got something they felt they didn't deserve. "Thank you for your trust. I know that Jeralt must have told you to be wary of me. To go against your father and speak to me like this…"

Was it my imagination, or did Rhea's eyes seem watery?

She blinked, and then the moment was gone. "It means the world to me. More than you can know."

I didn't know what to say in response to that. Instead, I gave her a silent nod and then left.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Not much comes to mind this chapter.

Thanks for reading and your input. I hope the chapter was enjoyable and I'll see you soon.


	31. Behind the Verdant Wind

By the time I left the main building of the monastery, the sun had begun to set. The blue sky was tinged with streaks of orange, like flames across the open seas. Fitting, considering the mess I was in now.

Despite it being a weekday, there weren't any students around. It seemed like Rhea had passed on the message about the monastery being on high alert. Or maybe they had noticed Dimitri and the Blue Lions marching out and geared up for war.

Either way, as I walked along the northern paved road back to my room, it was deathly quiet. Only the sound of my footsteps echoed.

But even though my surroundings were quiet, my thoughts certainly weren't.

So much was happening, and so much of it was out of my control.

Dimitri knew about the future. He didn't outright say it, but that slip up he made regarding its location was telling. Not only that, but he mentioned how he was familiar with the fighting style of the Imperial Soldiers, enough to be certain the ones in the Holy Tomb weren't imposters. Because of that, and because he seemed soft towards Edelgard and not downright murderous meant that he had come from at least some iteration of Azure Moon.

But when did that happen?

I wracked my mind and combed over my interactions with Dimitri. Yet, try as I might to look for signs, the only oddities he had shown were recently.

I frowned and placed my hand on my chin.

There had already been signs I wasn't on a simple run. The way characters interacted around each other, the slight things that were off. And then there was how each student seemed much more skilled than they had any right of being.

I thought it was due to new game plus. That Byleth had done something to bring those back, his renown echoing across time and space to give me the rewards like in the game. Yet, a new game plus didn't account for everything.

Like Claude.

Claude… Sothis had noticed something off about him early on. That he seemed to know me, or rather Byleth, personally. And from my interactions with him, I had to agree. He knew things, although he didn't say it. Now, with recent events, there was no denying it either.

The problem was… which timeline did this Claude come from? And was he the Flame Emperor?

On his route, the game did a decent job of implying that he was, since he went missing at the same times the Flame Emperor was active. The twist was that he wasn't, and also that he wasn't the cold mastermind everyone thought he was.

But I could see the potential there. And if Claude came from Crimson Flower, especially one where Byleth betrayed him and refused to spare his life, then he would definitely lean towards his more calculating side over the faith he had in his companions.

If that was true, the attack on Dorothea and Manuela made sense. Both were useful units on Crimson Flower. Dorothea with Meteor and Manuela with Warp. Taking them out early would neutralize their threat in the war, even if they hadn't achieved that potential quite yet.

But… I still had faith in Claude. At least a little. He seemed a bit too sincere when he talked to me. Yet, my rational mind told me that he was the most likely suspect, especially when him and the Golden Deer were still missing from the monastery.

I sighed and shook my head.

The sound of running water joined my footsteps. Looking up, I saw that I had reached the bridge leading to the chapel.

When I saw that, I was reminded of the other oddities, especially regarding Rhea.

The Archbishop. Lady Seiros. Both of those were part of Rhea. A serene and beautiful woman, or a furious valkyrie set on eradicating her enemies. Either or, a dichotomy. That was what it had been in the game. The only unifying factor between them had been her love and obsession towards her mother, towards Sothis.

But this Rhea was different. The one I met wasn't the same as the one I knew. The obsession had vanished, replaced with regret, sorrow, and guilt. Something that made no sense.

Even in Silver Snow, while she got rid of her obsession… I didn't think that she'd regret it. No, she would have regretted her actions over the years, but the regret I saw didn't seem to come from that. Also, if she had knowledge of the war, she would definitely be acting more aggressively towards Edelgard and Dimitri.

Rhea's actions towards me, the story she told and the questions she asked… I couldn't see anything that would lead her to that in the game. So then… did things go back further than I thought?

My dad mentioned that my flames could have come from 'Iris' when he saw them. My mother. Not only that, but Rhea's sorrow and guilt were amplified when I brought her up, saying that her death was a result of her selfishness.

Was she the cause of it all? Did my appearance cause a ripple that spread that far back into the past? Or… was it the act of someone else? And if so, _why_?

"Argh. This is driving me insane…" I ran my right hand through my hair.

At times like this, I wished I could talk with Sothis to sort things out. She had a way of cutting straight to the core of things with her intuition, something more useful than my over analysis.

But Sothis was still unconscious. And… while I wasn't sure, considering how everything else had gone today, I had a feeling she wouldn't be up until tomorrow at the earliest.

That meant no Divine Pulses.

…No, even if I could use a Divine Pulse, with the Flame Emperor out there, whoever he was, it'd be risky either way. I'd get another chance, but it would tip them off as well as give them more planning time. A double-edged blade.

Like that, my most effective tool was neutralized.

Dammit.

Sothis was right. I'd been too delusional, trusted in plot armor too much. Just because I was Byleth didn't mean that things would always go my way. And when they did, like it had been up to this point, it seemed like that was a surefire sign something big was about to go down.

I reached my room. It seemed like muscle memory had taken me there while I was mulling over the recent events.

It was quiet, with only the soft sound of running water in the distance echoing. The sun had also set, leaving only the light of the moon to see by. Deceptively peaceful.

I shook my head and opened the door to my room. A scrap of paper fell to the floor, as expected. But when I reached over to grab it, I noticed something that definitely wasn't expected.

A very thin black line was drawn on the floor in ink. Barely noticeable and easily wiped up. Opening the door would be enough to scuff it, leaving a mark in the direction the door had been moved.

That could be seen in the slight arc tracing forward into the room. It was a sign that the door had been opened, which was correct since I had done just that. However, there was a second arc. That one traced backwards, something only possible when the door was shut.

I casually picked up the piece of paper and shook my head. After that, I closed the door behind me and tucked the paper back in the corner, setting it up to fall down when the door was opened again. But, at the same time, with my face hidden due to my back being turned, I gathered mana in my left arm and muttered a single word.

"Disperse."

Mana surged from my left arm, shorting it out. But at the same time, it did its job.

The sound of shattering glass filled my room. But it wasn't just one time. A small chorus, chiming like bells, reverberated.

My eyes widened and I turned around to see silver dust fall from all over my room. In the sunlight, it would have been invisible, but in the faint moonlight, it was like falling snow against the night sky.

"How did-"

Rustling echoed by my window, the sound of a cloak shifting from sudden movement.

I spun around in time to see someone moving away. For the most part, I could only make out a black blur, the sight of a dark cloak. But in the briefest moments, a single instant, I caught sight of the corner of a white mask.

"You!"

I ran towards my door and threw it open.

The Flame Emperor paused for a brief moment, turning back to look at me. With that, I could clearly see his mask, along with a bit of dark hair sticking out from behind it.

My stomach fell when I saw that, but I shoved my mixed emotions to the side. For now, I had to catch him. At that time, I could sort everything out at once. Who he was for sure, how I felt, and why he was acting like this when he could have-

_Focus._

Right. Thinking came later. For now, I had to act.

The Flame Emperor ran towards the bath house, to the north of my room.

I ran after him.

He was fast, but I was just as fast and gaining ground.

For the slightest moment, I regretted using my crest so soon. It'd take a bit for my left arm to return to normal, and I couldn't risk imitating the tactics I'd done to reach the Flame Emperor in the previous timeline.

But he didn't know that.

From the way he kept glancing back to look at me, it seemed that he was cautious of me suddenly gaining speed. But not only that, he seemed wary of the monastery as well, his head turning left and right, as if to observe the surroundings.

The Flame Emperor reached the steps leading up to the bath house. Was he tired from the aftermath of the Divine Pulse? Or was his stamina not as good as my own? Either way, his speed started to slow down when he climbed them.

I closed the gap, leaving a space of only a few paces between us.

And then the Flame Emperor jumped and ran up the side of the bath house, defying gravity entirely before vaulting over it.

"Son of a-"

I shook my head. That was irritating, but not an insurmountable task.

I quickly scanned my eyes across the bath house, looking for footholds. Brick, arches, windows, an alcove… just enough. Thankfully, the roof of the bath house was only about three times my height.

I ran at an angle towards the main entrance and kicked off the wall. In mid-air, I grabbed the alcove over the window next to it and swung my body, flipping into the air. At the height of that, I slammed my heel down. It barely caught the edge of the roof, and I used it to send me flying forward. Without missing a beat, I kept running.

…A small part of me wondered how I managed that, but I chalked it up to Byleth's reflexes and coordination and kept running.

The Flame Emperor was still moving, but I saw him visibly flinch when he saw that I was still in pursuit.

Sensible, really. I didn't think free running or parkour was a common thing in Fodlan.

We reached the edge of the roof. I could see the river winding down the mountain and the trees beyond that spreading into a forest.

"Tch."

Was that his plan? To lose me in the forest and double back to the monastery? Well, it wouldn't be that easy.

The Flame Emperor leapt off the rooftop. Violet light scattered, slowing his descent and providing a soft landing.

I didn't have that luxury, but I didn't need it.

The ground right below the edge of the bath house was thankfully unpaved. Dirt and grass, with no rocks or other dangerous debris. The fall was pretty steep, about four times my height due to the drop off. But that helped me in my next act.

I jumped off after the Flame Emperor, making sure to keep my legs straight. For a few moments, I was suspended in the air. Then, gravity took over and I fell to the ground.

The Flame Emperor paused to look at me. Was he shocked, or certain that I would harm myself in the process?

I ignored him and focused on my landing. The moment my feet touched the ground, I bent forward and threw my weight in that direction. My body spun and I tucked my head, letting my momentum carry me. After a few revolutions, I popped up and jumped to my feet, flying towards the Flame Emperor.

That mask of his made it impossible to see his expression, but I was sure that his eyes were wide in shock. Still, he recovered quickly and spun around to run again, crossing the river.

I chased after him, ignoring the water splashing around me. The gap closed between us yet again.

We ran into the woods. At once, the moonlight illuminating the ground faded. The tree leaves cast shadows that formed a veil that obscured everything in darkness.

But, if that was his plan, it didn't work. For anyone else, it might have, but not for me. Not for Byleth.

Even in the scant moonlight, my vision, Byleth's vision, let me keep track of the Flame Emperor as well as the terrain.

The Flame Emperor moved unhindered as well, probably from whatever Agarthan technology ran in that mask of his.

The sound of cracking twigs and crunching leaves filled the air as I pursued the Flame Emperor deeper into the forest.

Eventually, he slowed down. Did he realize it was pointless, or was it a trap? Either way, I kept up my pace.

The Flame Emperor turned around. Those ominous golden irises stared at me and then he slowly reached for his mask, raising his right hand.

Just as I closed the gap, a few steps away from grabbing him, he muttered, "Now."

Dark magic flared and an array of violet glyphs and complicated mathematical formulae erupted around the Flame Emperor.

My eyes widened and I threw myself to the side.

The moment I did, the light faded and the Flame Emperor vanished.

I got up and brushed myself off. "Son of a-" I cursed and scanned the surrounding area.

Trees, branches, dried leaves. But no sign of the Flame Emperor or any helpers.

"Dammit."

I lost him. No, he lost me. At the last minute, he took advantage of my caution and slipped away.

I sighed and started to head back.

And then I felt it. A surge of dark magic. An unfamiliar mana signature.

I didn't hesitate and reached for my sword… only to grab air. I glanced down and frowned. It seemed that in the rush of everything, I forgot to grab it from the wagon.

That was fine. I didn't need a weapon anyway.

My left arm had recovered by now and I had the Crests to use. This far out from the monastery, I didn't need to worry about Rhea finding out about the Crest of Aubin.

Also, seeing the Flame Emperor use dark magic to slow his descent gave me an idea.

I gathered mana with my left arm and guided it towards my feet. At the moment I stepped down, I quickly converted it to a compressed blast of air.

It sent me flying towards the tree branches, a breakneck pace. Faster than I anticipated, but not faster than I could react.

Taking a page from that ninja anime, I spun around and kicked off the trunk of a tree, increasing my speed as I made my way towards the source of the dark magic.

"What was-"

A surprised voice. But irrelevant.

I burst through the trees and dropped down towards the dark mana signature. At the same time, I quickly scanned the surroundings.

Seven cloaked figures, wearing hoods to obscure their features. All armed with various weaponry. One axe user, three swordsmen, one spearman, a brawler, and then the dark mage that I rapidly closed in on.

"Stay away from her!" An unfamiliar female voice shouted. The axe user. Faster than I fell, she closed the gap and swung a steel axe up towards me.

I didn't have the time to think so I acted on reflex. The moment the axe swung up towards me, I tilted my body and lashed out with a kick to send the attack wide.

Or so I planned.

A Crest flared, wrapping me in its mana. It activated too quickly for me to see it, but I felt the mana form into chains, binding me in place. At the same time, the axe began scattering iridescent light, shining like a diamond.

Danger. My instincts were telling me that I wouldn't get off lightly if that attack hit.

But before I could react, my left arm burned and then devoured the mana that bound me in chains.

The sound of glass shattering filled the air and I continued my descent. However, my momentum had been stopped by the Crest, so I changed my target.

The axe user was dangerous, and the attack had been meant to kill. A sure strike combination I evaded only due to the mysterious properties of my artificial crest.

I couldn't allow any more surprises.

The moment I dropped to the ground, I kicked off and charged towards the axe user. I mid-stride, I wrapped mana around my fists, this time to form flames-

"Back away from her, you fiend!" A male voice shouted. Slightly condescending and regal. Immediately after, a spear cut through the air towards my chest.

I broke off my attack and instead channeled wind. I used that to divert my momentum and slow the spear, enough for me to grab it. The moment I felt the spear in my hands, I spun it around, testing its weight, and then lowered its point to the ground, settling in a combat stance.

The seven figures had backed up, surrounding me.

It was dark, but my descent from the treetop had allowed for a bit of moonlight to filter down through the broken branches.

"Hah!" A gruff male voice echoed, and then a towering figure charged at me, throwing a haymaker.

Predictable. There was force behind the blow, but it was too sloppy.

I easily ducked under the man's arm. Still low, I spun my spear around and swept him off his feet. But before I could do anything else, another voice shouted.

"Raphael!" Male, high-pitched… and familiar?

My eyes widened and I glanced over to see Ignatz charging at me with a silver sword. Crimson light clung to its edge. Assassinate.

I let out a breath and then traced the Crest of Indech in my left arm. Immediately, my body lightened, everything slowing down like I was underwater.

In that slowed space, I stepped forward and batted Ignatz aside with my spear. At the same time, I let go and grabbed his sword.

The Crest of Indech fizzled out and Ignatz was sent flying back, crashing against a tree.

I readjusted my grip on my newly acquired weapon and scanned the surroundings.

So this was where the Golden Deer went. They'd planned an ambush for me, huh?

"Ignatz!" A different female voice. One I wasn't familiar with. "You bastard! I'll show you the strength of Captain Jeralt's protégé!" Leonie charged and swung an iron sword towards my neck.

Plain, simple.

I stepped back, easily avoiding the attack, and stepped in with a slash towards her shoulder.

Leonie reacted quickly, somehow bringing her sword back to parry. But that meant her side was open.

I lashed out with a kick.

She staggered, buckling to the side.

Seeing that, I stepped forward to grab her, intending to use her as a hostage-

"Hades!" A young female voice echoed. Lysithea.

A pillar of dark magic erupted around me, crackling with a surge of mana. At the same time, the Crest of Charon and the Crest of Gloucester flared, amplifying its strength.

But that was fruitless. An attack purely made of mana couldn't harm me.

I focused on my left arm and flared my own mana, converting it to disruptive waves.

Lysithea's spell broke apart.

The moment it did, I turned towards her. Out of everyone, she was the easiest to take hostage. Once I did-

"Marianne, now!"

Hilda's voice.

My eyes widened and I spun around, raising my sword up to parry.

"My blood compels me!" Another female voice. Soft-spoken but determined. A blade wrapped in mana cut through the air, aiming to cut me in half.

I locked blades with her, causing sparks to erupt from where our blades touched.

With that brief light, I could see behind the hood of my attacker. Light blue bangs, dark gray eyes with slight bags under them from lack of sleep.

Those eyes widened when Marianne registered my own face. "Ah! You're-"

The pressure behind her blade lessened just the slightest. Using that, I disarmed her and spun her around, placing my blade at her throat.

Just to be sure everyone could see, I wrapped mana around my blade, causing it to shine and illuminate the surroundings. "All of you, stop unless you want your friend here to die."

Cold, ambivalent. Yet again, Byleth's ambivalent tone and expression paid off.

I felt my pulse race, but thankfully my heart didn't beat. If it did, that would've given the ruse away.

Lysithea gasped and said, "Byleth?! You're the one who attacked us?"

I didn't respond, only carefully observing everyone's reaction.

Leonie pushed herself off from the ground. "You… you bastard!" She pointed at me and said, "Taking a hostage! How could you disgrace Captain Jeralt like that?!"

Ignatz shook his head and stood up. The impact had knocked his glasses askew, so he readjusted them and looked over. When he did, his eyes widened.

The one who had thrown the spear at me scowled. Beneath his hood, I caught sight of a lop-sided purple bangs. Lorenz. "To take a pure maiden as hostage! How ignoble!"

The brawler I'd swept off his feet pushed himself back up. He groaned and shook his head before looking at me. His hood had fallen off in that time, revealing dirty blond hair. Raphael. "Argh… what hit me?"

And then there was the last person. Hilda. Her hood had fallen off as well, revealing her pink hair. However, instead of it being in the typical twin-tails like the game, she had fashioned it into a tight bun.

Considering how much she hated fighting and enjoyed prettying herself up, that showed how resolved she was and how serious the Golden Deer's operation must be.

Also, if looks could kill, from the sheer hatred in Hilda's glare, I would have died at least ten times over.

But they couldn't, so I calmly met her gaze and said, "Where's Claude?"

That was the key question behind all of this. Was it a misunderstanding, or intentional? Was this an accident, or a trap?

I had to determine it.

"You tell us!" Hilda scowled, an odd sight to see considering her usual personality, and said, "You're the one he ran after!"

I narrowed my eyes. "I see. So he is the Flame Emperor."

Leonie shook her head and said, "Don't try to pin that on Claude, you liar! We saw you wear that mask and stab Manuela!"

Wait, what? They saw_ me_ stab Manuela? How does that even-

An arrow flew through the air towards me, crackling with crimson lightning.

My eyes widened and I jumped to the side, releasing Marianne.

"Lysithea, now!"

"Understood, Claude!"

Mana flared and Marianne warped away, reappearing at Lysithea's side.

I straightened and turned towards the newest arrival.

Claude walked out from behind the trees, holding Failnaught in his hands. He glanced at everyone and said, "Sorry to keep you waiting, guys."

"Claude!" Hilda smiled. "Took you long enough, dummy!"

He smiled back at her and then turned to look at me.

I looked at him in return. His clothes were rustled, slightly wet. His hair was in disarray, and a sheen of sweat covered his brow.

That only cemented my suspicions, despite what I wanted to believe.

"Claude."

"Heya, Boss!" Claude's tone was lighthearted, teasing. He smiled and casually walked over. But I wasn't fooled. His eyes were cold, calculating. "I thought we were pals. Here I am, out on a little walk to find you and I get back to see you trying to murder my classmates." He narrowed his eyes. "Care to explain?"

"Care to explain why you shot down Dorothea?"

To Claude's credit, he didn't flinch.

"I'm afraid I'm not following you, Boss. Why would I want to shoot down the lovely Dorothea?"

"Don't lie to me! You know _exactly_ how much of a threat she'll be in the future when she learns Meteor. Her and Manuela with her warp spell." I narrowed my eyes. "That's why you stabbed her in the back, didn't you? And to even go about it disguised as me… no, to get someone to disguise as me. Guess I underestimated you."

The forest was completely silent. It seemed that nobody knew how to react to my words.

Hilda turned to look at Claude, her eyes uncertain. "Claude. Is that-"

"Of course not." Claude shook his head and stared at me. "Boss here- no, Teach here is spouting nonsense."

"The only nonsense here is you trying to deny being the Flame Emperor, Claude."

He stared at me and then glanced at Hilda. "You guys go on ahead. Ah, and make sure not to tell anyone. That's a mess I don't think I could handle right now."

"Claude!" Hilda looked at me and said, "We can't do that! He's-"

"Strong, I know. But I'll be fine." Claude stared at me and said, "Just… trust me, alright guys?"

"Claude…" Hilda frowned and then nodded. "Fine. Fine! But don't you dare die! I'll… I'll make sure that Lorenz becomes the leader of the Alliance if you do!"

Claude laughed. "I'm sure he'd do a good job at it anyway. Now, hurry up."

Hilda looked at Claude one last time and then nodded. "Lysithea. Get us out of here."

Lysithea turned to look at me and bit her lip before nodding. "Alright, Hilda." After that, violet sigils erupted around everyone and then they warped away. Probably not far, considering how many were being transported, but far enough to be out of earshot.

It was quiet for a bit and then Claude said, "Funny. I didn't think you'd let them leave so easily, Teach."

"I'm not evil, Claude. Even though I'm not teaching them, they're still my students."

"Could have fooled me." He shook his head and said, "It's one thing to chase after me and Professor Manuela, but to go as far as taking Marianne hostage… So this is how things go when you choose Edelgard, huh?" He stared at me, his eyes as cold as ice. "Looks like you're willing to cross any lines to get what you want, just like her."

Anger welled up inside of me. I pointed my sword at Claude and said, "You crossed the line when you attacked my students and joined with the Agarthans, traitor!"

I couldn't believe it. Claude, teaming up with the Agarthans. That was the only way he could be the Flame Emperor. And it made sense. Shambhala was in Goneril territory. With his knowledge, it'd be simple to arrange a deal.

Yes, it all made sense now. It explained why Edelgard and Hubert were so confused. Why the Agarthans were acting contrary to their interests.

Claude froze. His eyes were wide in disbelief. Shocked.

"Did you think I wouldn't realize it, Claude?" I shook my head and laughed. "No, did you think you were the only one that knows what happens in the future? Well you aren't!" I tightened my grip on my sword and began gathering mana. "And if you're going to stand in my way then-"

"Hold on." Claude lowered Failnaught and then held up his right hand. "Mind repeating that last bit again?"

I shook my head. "Enough of your mind games! We'll settle this here and-"

"Nemesis. God-Shattering Star. Shambhala. Ring any bells?"

I shook my head. "You won't trick me, Claude. I know that you're the Flame Emperor. While I don't know how or where you got the Crest of Flames, I-"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Claude quickly hung Failnaught on his back and held up his hands. "I think we've got a misunderstanding here, Boss."

I raised an eyebrow. "Do we now?"

Claude quickly nodded. "Yeah. I'm not the Flame Emperor."

I scoffed. "As if I'd believe you."

"No, seriously! Me and the Golden Deer were out here chasing after him too! Besides, wouldn't I be working with Edelgard then if I was?"

That… made a bit of sense. But it could just be an elaborate ruse. Knowing Claude's cunning, it was possible. A way to get me off my guard.

"You and her want different outcomes. Compatible yes, but you said it yourself, didn't you? That you would rather rule Fodlan than Edelgard."

"…You're not wrong there, Boss. But-"

"And even if you were, why do you have Failnaught?" That was something Claude shouldn't have until after the time skip when he ruled the Alliance as its head.

"Ah, well…" Claude scratched the back of his head. "It's a long story. Gotta have trump cards in store when the decks stacked against you, right? Besides, if we're talking about weird things, since when did you have multiple Crests?" His eyes narrowed. "If anything, you're the one more likely to be the Flame Emperor."

We were at an impasse.

I didn't trust Claude, and he didn't trust me. No, we both wanted to trust each other… but there was too much riding on either of us being wrong to do so.

After a stretch of time that could have been either a few seconds or an hour, Claude sighed and muttered, "Damn. Did I hop to the wrong timeline?"

I blinked. "What?"

He stared at me and frowned. "Boss… no, my friend. Don't you remember what we planned? Why are you suspecting me of all people?"

"Because you shouldn't know anything about the future?" I meant for the statement to come out as a declaration, but my uncertainty made it into a question.

Claude groaned and ran his hand through his hair. "I knew we should have double-checked with Hanneman before using it. Mortal meddling in divine providence never went well."

"…Wait. Mortal meddling? Divine providence?"

Claude shook his head and looked at me. There was a hint of sorrow in his eyes, but also hope. "I think we got off on the wrong foot, my friend. Mind if we start over?" He held out his hand and said, "I'm Claude von Riegan, future King of Unification and time traveler. You?"

This… was this really happening?

I stared at his hand, went over everything I had experienced, weighed the pros and cons… and then reached out to grab it.

"…Byleth Eisner, time looper." And nameless spirit sent from another world, but that bit was something that I definitely wouldn't be revealing any time soon.

"Time looper, huh?" Claude shook his head. "So this isn't your first time around,is it?"

"…It's the first with everything breaking down like this." And my first in general, but again, secret.

He let go of my hand and sighed. "Well… this sucks. But I guess it's better than the worst case scenario we considered. Our goals still the same? Save your dad, stop Edelgard, prevent Dimitri from dying, get Rhea to step down, and get rid of those slithery dastards?"

I nodded. "That's right." My eyes narrowed and I said, "But killing Edelgard's off limits."

Claude held up his hands. "Easy there, Byleth. No, can I call you Boss? Yeah, I think I'll call you Boss." He shook his head and said, "My friend didn't want that either, so you don't need to worry about me offing the fair princess… even if she's a homicidal bi-"

I coughed.

Claude shook his head and said, "Anyway, you can relax, Boss. I'll leave you to deal with our fair princess while I'll work on things behind the scenes- Wait." He paused and looked at me again. "You said that you were chasing the Flame Emperor. Since you know about the future as well… does that mean it's not Edelgard?"

I shook my head. "That's impossible. I fought him while Edelgard was with the others. Unless they managed to create cloning technology and Edelgard is a skilled enough actor to put every past, present, and future star of the Mittlefrank Opera Company to shame."

"Well… damn." Claude shook his head. "Alright. Alright. This can still work. I'll just… need to make a few adjustments to my plan."

"Care to let me in on those plans?"

Claude smiled. "Now that would be telling, wouldn't it?" That smile faded a bit and said, "You might look like my friend, but you're clearly not. For now, I'll trust you to do what you had in mind, but don't think I trust you entirely. Besides… it's nice to have a contingency in case you fail, don't you think?"

"…No. I don't think that at all."

Claude shrugged. "Too bad. Anyway, I'd better go calm everyone down. Better for them not to think you're a murderous monster bent on killing us all off, eh? See ya, Boss."

Before I could react, Claude ran away, leaving me alone.

I waited for a bit, partly to make it seem like I wasn't intending to cut him down, but mostly to go over that latest revelation.

When I thought about it all, only two words came to mind.

"Well… shit."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Got you in the first half, didn't I?

The question seems to be now who _doesn't_ know about the future? And is Claude really not the Flame Emperor, or is he just faking it? After all, he 'was' the Master Tactician that managed to keep the Alliance together in those five years...

And where does our dear protagonist fit in with all of this? Will things remain the same, or will things change?

Also, what's Sothis going to think when she wakes up to this mess?

Find out... well, not next time, but soon! Hopefully.

Thanks for reading, and I'd really appreciate some input on this if you could. Was the twist good? How's the pacing so far? Did it come out of the blue, or is everything making sense? Thing along those lines.

Either way, I appreciate you coming along this far, and I hope that this chapter was as fun to read as it was to write.

See you next time!

P.S: Chapter titles aren't just flavor text.


	32. Crimson Flowers Line the Path

Moonlight shone from the night sky, illuminating my path back. Calm and peaceful, unlike my thoughts and emotions.

So Claude was a confirmed time traveler. Whether or not he was the Flame Emperor and was playing 5D chess to throw me off was still up in the air, but either way he was an unexpected variable in the grand scheme of things.

It would have been great if the guy decided to trust me and spill his plans, but apparently I wasn't the same Byleth that he knew and trusted. Which, well, was true. I wasn't.

Still, for now we were uneasy allies. Our goals seemed to align, in part at least. In that case, I just had to work with him until or unless he stood against me.

…Which would probably involve a fight with all of the Golden Deer, since they'd trust him more than me due to him being their house leader and me being the professor of the Black Eagles.

Another thing to worry about in the future.

I sighed and continued my walk back.

The forest was quiet and calm. Whether that was from the fact that a lot of mana still lingered in the air from our brief clash or something else, I didn't know. However, I appreciated the lack of interruptions.

Since there was time, I started to map out what would come in the future. What I had to do, and what would likely occur.

Tomorrow, there would definitely be a faculty meeting. After what happened today, there was no doubt about it. We'd probably be talking about the mock battle and whether it would even occur with Manuela out of the picture.

Either way, the Black Eagles would probably have a mission at the end of this month, one way or another. Unless Rhea felt that it was too dangerous and kept us inside the monastery. Also likely.

The first free day would be coming up soon. Today was Wednesday, a week before the mock battle was supposed to take place. That meant that my free day, the weekend, would be coming up as well.

From what I remembered, my dad said Clark and Diane should be arriving soon with the rest of the troops. That'd help out a lot in training the Black Eagles. While I wasn't so good at formations and battle tactics, the two of them were. At least in small groups like the Black Eagles would be.

I nodded to myself.

That was one concern settled. The lessons next week could be focused around that. Sparring with the more veteran mercenaries would be valuable experience. If my dad got back before then, that'd be great too.

My dad… my dad!

That's right. Claude doesn't know that I told my dad yet. And, since he thinks that I'm just a slightly different Byleth, he probably wouldn't think for me to do that. After all, who would believe a guy who time-traveled except another time-traveler?

As the captain of the Knights of Seiros… well, de facto at least, my dad could keep an eye on Claude's movements as well. Even if the King of Unification came from the future with a couple decades worth of experience, that couldn't compare to the century or more years that my father had. Especially when he served immediately under Rhea and, presumably, married her daughter.

That could keep Claude in check. Just… I had to wait until my dad got back.

Still, that alleviated one concern of mine.

The sound of running water echoed from in front of me. I'd managed to reach the river while I was lost in thought.

A quick surge of mana and I hopped across to the other side, making my way back up towards the bath house.

What else did I need to do? No, before that I had to sort out what was supposed to happen and how it might change.

The next few missions… I didn't remember the order, but the next few months should be focused around getting rid of Kostas for good at Zanado, getting the Sword of the Creator, and Lonato's rebellion.

After that… Miklan, right? The lance of ruin being stolen happened after I got the Sword of the Creator. Well, after Byleth got it.

Next was Flayn getting kidnapped, the three way at Gronder Fields, and then Remire village.

What else?

I frowned.

The back wall of the bath house was in front of me. Without much thought, I hopped up and vaulted myself onto the roof again.

The moment I landed, I froze. Ancient mana locked onto me, carrying a sentience and will of its own. But as quickly as it did, the ancient mana slid off, leaving me free to move.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding and then narrowed my eyes.

That mana was familiar. Familiar, but also different.

"So this is the counter measure Rhea prepared, huh?"

I paused, realizing my unintentional pun, and then I sighed.

"…I should get some rest. All of this is messing with my sleep schedule."

I shook my head and kept moving forward.

That mana was similar to Sothis's. It had the same feeling, but was much older and… patchy, if that made any sense. If Sothis's mana was a golden tapestry, what I'd just felt was a frayed old carpet with missing portions covered up by light green thread. As for that light green thread… I didn't know exactly what it was, but it felt like Rhea, so I assumed that she had something to do with it.

From how it had locked onto me, it seemed that Rhea was on the lookout for any person heading in and out of the monastery. Probably using a scrying glass or monitor of sorts, if I had to guess.

In that case, she was probably aware of the Golden Deer returning.

But… why didn't I feel that earlier? Did Rhea just start using it because she was still reeling from the conversation we had, or did I just miss it the first time?

I shrugged and hopped off the roof of the bath house, landing on the ground beneath.

Where was I…? Right, timeline.

After Remire village would be… the ball, if I remembered right. Students would turn into monsters and my dad would get backstabbed by Monica. Enraged and grief-stricken, Byleth would run off at the first sign of Solon next month, get into a trap, get sent to the shadow realm, merge with Sothis, and then head to the Holy Tomb at Rhea's behest the month after that.

From there, it would lead to the battle at Garreg Mach, the time skip, and whatever path Byleth chose.

Now, what could stay the same and what would change?

There was about a year in which the first part of the game happened. Every month was a new mission, and those missions were what drove the plot. That meant, by the attractor field theory, some things _had_ to occur. Or at least were very inclined to occur without outside interference changing it.

Lonato's rebellion seemed like something long in the works, so that probably would stay the same. So was Miklan stealing the Lance of Ruin.

Trying to get the Sword of the Creator… it'd be tough now that Rhea was cautious, but I felt like the Agarthans would definitely give that another go.

The ball and the three way battle at Gronder was important, so that was another certainty…

Flayn being kidnapped… might happen still, but that depended on if cooperation between Edelgard and the Agarthans broke down.

And then…

"Argh." I ran my right hand through my hair and shook my head. "There's too much to consider."

All of that was fine and all… but I hadn't even begun to take into account the other people that might be involved. Who might go out of their way to change things.

Claude… knowing him, he would be looking for ways to benefit himself while weakening the Agarthans. And potentially Edelgard. That meant he might try to grab the Sword of the Creator ahead of time, or even take out Miklan himself to grab the Lance of Ruin.

Dimitri… I wasn't sure about him yet, but he seemed to know _something_ about the future if he recalled the Holy Tomb's entrance. That guy would definitely meddle in things that he could, which was shown in how he led the entire Blue Lions house against the people invading the Holy Tomb.

Then there were all the things that my dad no doubt already put into action behind the scenes according to the normal timeline.

Plus Rhea.

…Damn. Could it be that I was the one who had to stick to the plan? No, was this Fate's way of ensuring that I followed its path? That things would go terribly wrong unless I tried to make things stick to script?

"Of all the times my little helper is unconscious…"

I shook my head and started walking back to my room.

Maybe a good night's sleep would help both me and Sothis get back to top form.

I knew I needed it. After everything that happened today, laying down in my bed seemed more and more enticing.

After a bit of walking, I arrived in front of my room. On auto-pilot, I unlocked the door and pushed it open. The moment it did, I threw my coat towards my desk-

"Eep!"

-and then froze.

A certain princess was seated at my desk, flipping through _An Anthology of Major Crests_. A lantern was lit, placed beneath the windowsill to provide a soft ambient lighting.

She was also now sporting a mostly wet coat wrapped around her head.

Edelgard quickly pulled my coat off from her face and frowned. She tossed it to the floor and then said, "A bit of warning would suffice, my teacher. There was no need to resort to such drastic measures to get my attention."

I closed the door behind me, locking it, and then shook my head. "That wasn't my intention. You just happened to be in the way."

Edelgard stared at me and said, "…Do you always throw your coat in such a roughshod manner when you return to your room, my teacher?"

"You don't?"

Edelgard went quiet.

I nodded and said, "Exactly."

Edelgard coughed. "I-In any case… where have you been, my teacher?"

Although I'd managed to play it cool in responding to Edelgard, I was running mental gymnastics to keep my composure up and sort through my questions.

First of all, how did she get in?

Second, why was she here?

Third… what was she doing flipping through my books? And did I leave anything incriminating?

I shook my head and then said, "Forget about that. Why are you in my room, Delly?"

Edelgard tugged at her hair, sorting it out after being ambushed by my wet coat, and said, "The door was unlocked so I decided to invite myself in."

The door was unlocked…?

Crap.

She was right. I forgot to close the door behind me when I ran after the Flame Emperor.

When I realized that, I paid very careful attention to not look at my bed or the area beneath it where I kept my alchemy experiments.

Edelgard frowned and then said, "More importantly, my teacher. Would you stop it with that childish name? I will… tentatively accept being called 'El', but Delly is-"

"Short, sweet, and noble. Just like you."

Edelgard's frown deepened, but a hint of crimson showed on her cheeks. "T-That… hmph! If that is the game you wish to play, my teacher, then from this point onward I shall address you as… as… Billy!" She nodded and said, "Yes. Such a name suits a shameless individual as yourself."

I shrugged. "It's all the same to me. Just don't blame me for the fallout when others hear you calling me that."

In the Black Eagles alone, Dorothea would probably tease Edelgard senseless if she found out. Then there was Claude to consider… and probably Sylvain too. Well, if the cavalier wasn't still set on Edelgard being pure evil like he seemed to be earlier.

Edelgard froze, seemingly realizing the implications of my new nickname. She sighed and then said, "On second thought, my teacher, Byleth will suffice."

"Suit yourself." After saying that, I walked to my bed and took a seat.

Edelgard's gaze followed me, and when she saw me sit down the slight flush on her cheeks turned into a full on blush.

I resisted the urge to smirk or laugh at her expense. Instead, I said, "What? Just realizing the implications of walking into my room late at night?"

Edelgard shook her head and said, "You are shameless, my teacher. Utterly shameless."

I shrugged and said, "I take what I can get."

With how screwed up the timeline was going to get soon, any small spot of happiness was something to be treasured.

Edelgard raised an eyebrow and said, "And that includes myself?"

I raised an eyebrow in return.

Edelgard froze, realizing her slip-up and said, "Including making fun of myself! Not myself!" That blush spread, dying her entire face crimson.

"Well if you're offering-"

Edelgard coughed and averted her gaze. "E-Enough of the banter." She took a deep breath and then turned back to look at me. While she was still a bit red, she seemed to have calmed down. "There is something important that I wish to discuss with you, my teacher."

Seeing her act like that, I decided that I had teased her enough. "Alright. Grab a seat and go ahead."

Edelgard glanced at the spot beside me.

I sighed and gestured towards her chair. "Just pull that over and make yourself comfortable."

"O-Of course." Edelgard quickly got up and scooted the chair over until it was a few paces in front of me. After that, she sat back down.

I waited for her to start, but after a few minutes of silence, I said, "So… what did you want to talk about?"

Cooperation with the Agarthans? Time traveling? Her possession of the Crest of Flames? Taking over the Empire?

At this point, it'd take a lot to shock me. Something like an evil version of me coming from the future and wanting to kill everybody because he failed and everyone betrayed him.

…Actually, I wouldn't be surprised at that either.

Just went to show how jaded I'd become in these past few… hours? Wow. Talk about a loaded day…

While I was musing about my situation, Edelgard finally decided to speak.

"It is a private matter, my teacher." Edelgard glanced around my room and said, "Is there a way that you might secure the room? If not, I can arrange for us to have this conversation another time."

"Hm…"

Well, if it was before today, that might have been an issue. But with the experiences I had from actually killing myself through mana overload and channeling some elemental magic, it should be doable.

I focused on my left arm. What I needed now was just to stop the sound from traveling beyond this room… no, we were pretty close together, so a small enclosure should be fine.

I also remembered how Hanneman had set up his wards, so if I replicated that right and borrowed some of the ambient mana to lessen the load on my arm…

White light flared and an array of glyphs surrounded me and Edelgard. After making sure they were identical to what Hanneman had used, I nodded and said, "Done."

Not the best work, since someone with more familiarity with the Silence and Ward spells could easily break it, but enough for a bit of privacy.

Edelgard's eyes widened and she said, "You are truly a man with mysterious skills, my teacher."

I shrugged and said, "You pick up a lot as a mercenary."

Edelgard glanced back at the books on my desk and said, "Even Crestology?"

A strange question, but I nodded and said, "Even that. You never know what might save your life in the future."

"I see. How pragmatic."

Edelgard was delaying and deflecting.

Because of that, I decided to cut to the chase. "Yes… so, what did you want to tell me?"

For a while, Edelgard simply stared at me. Her violet eyes peered into my own, flickering with countless emotions. Uncertainty. Doubt. Fear. Yearning. Hope. And finally, determination.

Considering that progression of emotions, I was curious. What exactly would she ask of me- no, what would she tell me?

"My teacher- no, Byleth." Edelgard stared at me, her violet eyes filled with resolve. "There is something I wish to tell you. However, before I do, I must know." She paused and then said, "Do you trust me?"

I froze.

She asked if I trusted her. Not, 'can I trust you' but 'do you trust me?'

Edelgard… did she come from the future as well? Or… was this trust she showed what she always had for Byleth in the game, only that she lacked the courage to reach out? Courage that I gave her by being just that much more approachable, or that much more skilled?

"My teacher?" Edelgard waited for my answer.

I nodded and said, "Why wouldn't I trust you, Delly?"

Though her actions resulted in countless deaths, she _did_ have good intentions. Granted, the way to hell was paved with those, but with a little guidance to keep her in check and also getting her _far_ away from the Agarthans, Edelgard should be trustworthy.

Edelgard frowned. "That is not an answer, my teacher. No, perhaps that is-"

I decided to interrupt Edelgard before she got any strange ideas. "Enough of that, Delly." I shook my head and said, "You're overthinking this too much."

"My teacher?"

I smiled. Well, as best as I could with Byleth's stiff face. I'd probably need to work on that in the mirror sometime… but anyway, I smiled and said, "I trust you. I've only had you and the Black Eagles for a few days, but if anything happened to you, I'd kill everyone in the room and then myself."

Edelgard blinked.

Seeing that, I realized that maybe memes weren't the best things to use in a serious conversation.

Just as I began to wonder if I'd made a terrible mistake, Edelgard shook her head.

"I still cannot read you," she said. "My teacher. Even among the countless individuals I have met throughout my lifetime, you alone remain inscrutable- no, unpredictable." She paused and said, "No. That is not true. There is one thing I can be certain about you now."

"Oh?" I tilted my head and said, "What's that?"

"Is it not obvious?" Edelgard smiled. "You have faith in us. All of us, even if we might not deserve it."

I nodded. "Obviously. What kind of professor would I be if I didn't have faith in my students?"

Nothing in life was absolute, even though people tried to make it so. A person could be a villain or a hero, depending on what you expected of them and the faith you had in them.

Because of that, I'd obviously have faith in Edelgard and everyone else. Not doing so would simply pressure them to walking the darker path.

Edelgard stared at me, her smile fading. "Can I hold you to those words, my teacher?" She paused and her gaze became distant. "If… if the world itself becomes our enemy. If a terrible force that could tear this very world asunder emerged, would you stand by us? Stand by me?"

Vulnerable. Pleading. In that moment, the confident Adrestrian Princess and future Emperor was gone. The only person sitting there was a young and scared girl, reaching out her hand towards me.

Seeing that, I laughed.

Edelgard froze, her expression shattering. "I-"

"What a ridiculous question, Delly." I shook my head. "The world? A terrible force that could break it apart?" A smile crept across my face. "Even if Fate itself destined you to death, I would shatter it to ensure you survived."

Edelgard stared at me for a while and then she smiled. Not long after, laughter filled the air. A pure, genuine sound, unlike the carefully constructed formal tone she usually kept.

"Delusional." Edelgard shook her head and said, "Utterly delusional. Such optimism and confidence…" She looked to me and said, "My teacher. You could give Ferdinand a run for his money with your arrogance."

I shrugged and said, "It's not arrogance if it's true."

I just… had a few hiccups to work out along the way.

"Perhaps." Edelgard smiled again, a warm expression that exemplified just how beautiful she was and how much stress and resolve had taken a toll on her when comparing it to her normal expression. Carefree and innocent… how she should be rather than how she was.

Yet, just as quickly as that smile came, it vanished. "And perhaps…" Edelgard muttered and then shook her head. "No, this isn't the time to have this conversation."

I frowned. "What? Don't trust me?"

Edelgard stared at me and said, "On the contrary, I trust you too much, my teacher. Knowing you, if I ask- No. I will settle this affair myself." Steely resolve filled her voice and she stood up.

"Leaving so soon?"

Edelgard nodded. "There is something that only I can do… no, that I _must_ do, my teacher."

I stood up as well. "…Are you sure?" Seeing Edelgard's expression was making me worried. It was a decisive expression, the look of someone who would carry out a task even at the expense of their life. "I can-"

"No." Edelgard shook her head. "…If you wish to do something, my teacher, then please, stay as you are." She smiled, though that expression didn't reach her eyes. "I promise, I will explain everything soon. But until that time… please, just wait. Wait, and hold true to your words."

Hold true to my words… so trust her, huh?

I stared at Edelgard, and she stared back.

After a while, I sighed and nodded. "Alright. I'm trusting you on this, Delly. And I expect you to check in with me the first thing tomorrow morning, alright? I need your help to wrangle everyone together for class after I get back from the faculty meeting."

She paused and then nodded. "…Of course. I promise."

"Good. Then… I guess have a good night? And good luck?"

Edelgard smiled. "Thank you. And… good night, my teacher." She turned around and began walking away.

I let down the ward and silence spells and watched her leave.

The door shut with a soft _click_ and then I was alone.

For a few moments, I debated whether or not to follow her. Whether I should break my word and go with the logical course of action to ensure she was safe and that nothing else went wrong.

But… "Faith, huh?"

Trust was a two-way street and more than just a word.

Edelgard trusted me. Enough to show her vulnerable side, to share her fear, if only in part.

In that case… "Fine. I'll trust you."

I looked out the window at the night sky. There, a bright blue star shone.

"…You'd better not make me regret this, Delly. I swear to god, I won't forgive you if you die on me by tomorrow morning."

* * *

_"I will return here someday my teacher. Promise me, that you won't forget me."_

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

For the record, the crimson flowers here refer to **_Lycoris Radiata_**. I'd put an image in instead, but I don't think I can, so... yeah.

There's a lot I want to say about this chapter... but I really can't without giving too much away, so I'll just sit on that for a while, I guess...

Still, I hope it was an enjoyable chapter.

Thanks for reading and leaving your input on the last chapter as well. It was fun reading about the guesses to who the Flame Emperor was and people's reaction to the chapter overall.

As always, thanks for reading, and I'll see you in the next one.

P.S.: Anyone know if that last line is said anywhere in the actual game and not just the trailer? I can't for the life of me remember if it does and I'm stuck on maddening CF so I can't check.

P.P.S: Nice catch to the guest who pointed out a typo.


	33. Lycoris Radiata

**Author's Note:**

So the third wave of DLC dropped today. New costumes, Jeritza, and Anna among all things. I blame that for the late upload.

* * *

I woke up with a start.

Edelgard's voice still echoed in my mind. Her pleading tone, her soft words… I remembered them. The resigned request that entranced me in the trailer so long ago, an Edelgard that seemed so vulnerable and helpless.

My heart raced, pounding loud enough for me to hear it in my ears.

I was lying in my bed. How I got there and when, I didn't care.

Edelgard. I had to make sure that she was alright. With everything she said yesterday and all that was going on…!

I jumped out of my bed onto the floor. The plan was to immediately run off and look for her. But before I could go anywhere, I heard a light gasp and was sent flying back into my bed.

A flicker of green flashed up from the floor and stopped in the middle of the air. "What in the world are you doing?!"

I froze for a bit, caught off guard.

Messy long green hair, impish eyes and pointed ears. An elegant blue dress and golden head piece that looked like a tiara.

All of that was familiar. But…

"Sothis?"

She huffed and crossed her arms. "Who else would I be, you dolt?"

"…Since when did you become a teenager?"

That was the difference. While she looked like Sothis… she also didn't. Rather than a young girl that was twelve at the oldest, she now looked like a young teenager.

I got out of the bed and stood up, checking to make sure I wasn't imagining things.

Sothis was still floating, but she took up a lot more room than she used to. If she was standing, she'd only be about a head shorter than me rather than half my height like she was before.

"…This isn't a dream, is it?"

I didn't remember when I had fallen asleep and Edelgard's words were still echoing in my mind. Paired with everything else that happened recently, it was getting hard to tell what was reality and what wasn't…

"Of course it is not a dream." Sothis shook her head and said, "Honestly! Barely a day without me and you return to being a misguided and sniveling fool. Must I hold your hand your entire life?"

…Yeah. This wasn't a dream. Even if my imagination could be pretty good at times, I wasn't insane or perverted enough to have delusions about a goddess scolding at me.

"Hm? What are you… Gah!" Sothis flinched and covered her eyes. "Why, why is that something that- No! Just… no!" She shook her head and said, "Such depravity…! Is this what happens to those that stray from the light of the gods!? I-"

I scratched the back of my head. "Yeah… sorry about that."

Sothis shuddered and then let out a sigh. "Well… I suppose I am fortunate you do not have any of…_ those_ tendencies. Though why you are aware of them in the first place-"

"The internet is a scary place. But on a more serious note, what happened to you?"

Sothis shook her head. "Have you forgotten already?"

"Hm? What are you-"

Ah. Right. Think instead of talk.

Sothis sighed. "Why is it that you always take two steps back for every three forward? Honestly…" She shook her head and said, "And regarding my appearance…" She frowned. "I believe it reflects the amount of my power that I have recovered."

That made sense-

Wait. There was something more important that I-

"Edelgard!"

I'd been distracted with Sothis reappearing, but I had to check on her.

"The princess?" Sothis frowned. "What of her? Why would you… ah. So that is what happened in the time I was unconscious. Quite a mess you have made for yourself."

I grabbed my coat from the floor and threw it over my shoulders. After that, I scanned my room for any usable weapons. My sword was still missing, but the blue dagger that Byleth usually kept on him was lying off to the side. I didn't remember when or if I'd taken it off, but I didn't question it and hooked it to my belt.

"Better than nothing, I guess," I muttered.

Sothis drifted over and said, "Are you that concerned about her?"

Isn't that obvious?

I walked over to my wardrobe and dug around for some spare vulneraries. I found one. It looked like I'd need to restock soon. That or figure out how they were made to synthesize some out of mana.

I shook my head and tied it at my waist and then turned towards the door.

"Byleth- no, nameless spirit."

I paused and turned to look at Sothis.

What is it?

"Do you intend to go against your own word?"

…What are you talking about?

Sothis was quiet for a moment and then shook her head. "The princess… Edelgard placed her faith in you. In return, she asked you to place your faith in her. Do you truly hold such a thing so lightly?"

I froze.

That… was right. Edelgard had asked me to trust her. To have faith in her. And I decided to do that. I decided to let her go off by herself last night. Decided to trust her.

I sighed and closed my eyes.

You're right. As always.

"Of course. I _am_ a Goddess, after all."

I opened my eyes and nodded. My decision had already been made last night. No matter what, I had to face the consequences of it.

"Exactly!" Sothis nodded. "If you continue on with that mindset, perhaps you will find a way out of this tangled web you have crafted for yourself."

I frowned.

What tangled mess?

Sothis rolled her eyes and sat down on my desk. "Is it not obvious? Everything that has happened is a result of your half-heartedness. Trusting so blindly in your 'game'… no, treating this life of yours as a game has resulted in this."

You make it sound like this is _my_ fault.

"It is. I warned you of Fate's repercussion. The ripples you caused have coalesced into a path that you cannot walk away from, but one that you must see to its end."

But it's only been three days! You're telling me that Claude being a time traveler, Dimitri knowing about the Holy Tomb and potentially coming from the future, as well as that mysterious Flame Emperor is a result of what I did in just three days?!

"Such is the price for wielding divine powers so nonchalantly! The Divine Pulse carries the word DIVINE for a reason!"

I sighed and ran my right hand through my hair.

She was right… but still, was it really just because of me spamming Divine Pulse?

Sothis frowned. "While I wish to say that it is… there is also something else at play. The disparate threads of Fate have been bound together and time has been twisted beyond recognition."

What?

Sothis stared at me. More specifically, at my arm. "I suggest you take a look at what you have created."

I frowned and ran mana through my left arm. It was the same as always, carrying prickling pain as my nerves stored and circulated the ambient mana into my body.

Sothis sighed. "Not like that. Physically inspect it."

Alright…?

I pulled up my left sleeve. When I did, I saw the Crests of Indech, Cichol, Aubin, and… Goneril, surprisingly, overlapping each other in the center of my forearm.

Was that what Sothis wanted to see?

"Why must I do everything?" Sothis shook her head and snapped her fingers. When she did, my coat and shirt vanished, leaving my torso bare.

I glared at her.

A little warning would be nice!

"Those were getting ratty anyway. I will provide you more fitting attire when we are finished here."

…It had better not be something ridiculous.

"Just look at your arm, you dolt."

I sighed and did as she asked me to.

There's nothing-

I froze.

"You mean to tell me _that_ is nothing, Byleth?"

I didn't respond. Instead, I stared at my left shoulder. There was a symbol there, traced out in pure blue. My veins and nerves, knotted together to form a pattern. A circuit of mana so stable and complete that I didn't detect it until Sothis pointed it out.

Ꚛ

A circle, split in four equal parts with a cross. The planetary symbol for Earth. My home world.

I focused on it and started to trace out the pattern with mana-

"What are you doing!?"

Testing it out.

Sothis flew over and bopped me on the head.

It didn't hurt, but I got the message and stopped.

"Did you forget what Crests are?! They are power incarnate, strength physically manifested! You cannot simply 'test it out' indoors!"

…Point taken. That was kind of a dumb idea.

I blamed the lack of sleep.

"Hmph!" Sothis snapped her fingers and I was fully clothed again.

Glancing down, I noticed my pants had changed too, along with my shoes.

"Huh. Well… this works."

A white dress shirt, black vest, and fancy tailored tuxedo with split coattails. That was paired with crisp black slacks and black leather loafers.

Sothis crossed her arms, a pleased smile on her face. "Did I not tell you? The clothes I make are not trifling things."

And I'm going to explain this how?

Sothis froze. "W-Well… you crossed the monastery's perimeter last night, did you not? This provides an excuse for that!"

…Smooth.

Sothis coughed and said, "In any case…" She waved her hand at my wardrobe, filling it with a few different outfits. "There. Like that you will avoid any unfortunate wardrobe malfunctions in the near future."

Right- Wait. You're distracting me.

"…I do not know what you are talking about." Sothis averted her gaze.

I sighed.

Thanks, Sothis.

She glanced at me and smiled. Which threw me for a loop since that childish appearance of hers was gone, replaced by an otherworldly beauty.

I shook my head and then started to head out when I heard a knock at my door.

"Professor! Are you awake?"

I frowned and glanced outside.

That was Seteth's voice, but from the dim light coming in through the window, it was still early in the morning. Did something happen, or was it just the usual meeting?

"Professor?"

"I'm up." I opened the door.

Seteth stood there, dressed in his blue dress shirt and slacks. It looked like it was staff duty today… or so I thought.

In the corner of my eyes, I noticed Sothis drift over.

You coming along this time?

"Considering the chaos that happens when I _am_ with you," Sothis said. "I dread to consider what you may cause when I am not."

That's true… well, no guarantees.

"Of that I am well aware. Regarding you, there never are."

Seteth stared at me and nodded. While he kept a neutral expression on, I noticed that his eyes relaxed just a little when he saw me.

I frowned. An inkling of worry crept up in my heart. "…Did something happen?"

Seteth paused and said, "The Archbishop will explain the situation. For now, we have decided to gather the house leaders and the house professors for a meeting."

"A meeting, huh?" I kept a level tone and tried to ignore my racing pulse.

Ignore it- no, think about something else. Anything else.

Right. Didn't I need to get Seteth something?

"Thanks for getting me, Seteth."

The church advisor nodded and said, "It is of no concern, Professor."

"By the way, is there anything in particular you'd like to get?"

Seteth blinked and said, "Pardon?"

Sothis sighed. "There is a time and a place for everything, Byleth. This is certainly not one of them to be asking that question."

I shook my head and said, "Never mind."

Seteth paused and said, "If you are curious, I suppose I am partial to fishing equipment as well as books. But in any case, we should be on our way." After finishing his words, Seteth started walking off to the north path.

I followed him, taking mental note of his likes and suppressing that vague sense of dread welling up inside of me.

* * *

The sky was a muggy gray hue, with barely any light to illuminate the monastery. Part of that was because it was still early, but it seemed like the weather would be taking a turn for the worse later.

It felt extremely contrived. And ominous.

There weren't many people around. Definitely no students. The only ones I saw were knights in full armor and gear. They were on patrol, extremely severe expressions on their faces. Not even a single morning greeting was sent our way as we passed. Concerning, considering that I was Rhea's favored professor and Seteth was her advisor.

Just what happened last night? And… no, I couldn't consider that. Fate was definitely out to get me, so I couldn't afford to tempt it.

Instead, I turned to Seteth and said, "Are we not heading to the Archbishop's chambers?"

I thought we'd have a meeting in there, but we had passed the turn leading to the main building.

Seteth shook his head. "No. While this situation is of utmost importance, the Archbishop's chambers are unequipped to handle the worst case scenario."

That… didn't sound good.

Sothis hummed and said, "That it does not. Perhaps the princess has-"

_Don't. Say it._

Sothis flinched. "I am merely suggesting-"

_DON'T._

"…Hmph. I suppose you are correct. Words possess power, and with how distorted Fate and time has become around you… it might just be enough suggestion to assure an event."

I nodded and glanced at Seteth. "Then where are we headed?"

"The war council room. You have been there before. It is where we had our first meeting."

"Hm?" I frowned. "Why there? Wouldn't it be safest in the place where the Archbishop sleeps?"

"You would believe so. However, the protections around the Archbishop's chambers are exclusive to her and members of her family. The safety of others would not be assured."

"And the war council room's different?"

"Indeed." Seteth nodded and said, "Most strategy meetings for deployment of the Knights of Seiros occur there. As a result, there are various wards and defenses prepared around the area. Granted, most remain inactive, but they are there precisely for situations such as today's."

A situation that he still wasn't mentioning.

My frown deepened.

We walked in silence for a while. Even Sothis was surprisingly quiet, lost in thoughts of her own.

Eventually, however, Seteth broke that silence.

"Professor."

I looked at him and said, "Yes?"

"You have proven quite dedicated to your students. To your role as well."

I nodded, but was confused. Where was Seteth going with this line of thought.

Seteth shook his head and said, "While I hate to admit it, the monastery would find it difficult to find a professor skilled enough to fend off a platoon of mages with merely an iron bow and a full quiver. Even Shamir would be hard-pressed to replicate such a feat."

"…And?"

"And so I must ask." Seteth came to a stop and turned around to look at me. "Who are you?"

I froze but immediately said, "Byleth Eisner, House Professor of the Black Eagles."

"Yes. That much I am aware." Seteth stared at me, his face inscrutable even to my eyes. "However… others might not have recognized it, but I know the power of the Crest of Aubin well."

I carefully kept my face neutral.

Seteth continued to stare at me and said, "While Rhea might have overlooked it, I know what I saw. That light, that power has been long lost to time. Long enough that I can count on one hand the number who even know of its existence, let alone its capabilities." He narrowed his eyes and said, "How is it that you came to possess such a power?"

"…Does it matter?"

Seteth's eyes were stern, searching.

I remained calm.

Eventually, Seteth sighed. "I suppose it does not. You have proven your sincerity, at least. And Rhea _does_ approve of you, odd as that may be."

I nodded and then said, "A mercenary has to maintain a few trade secrets. But you have my word that I don't intend to act against the church any time soon."

Seteth frowned. "That implies that you may."

"Well, does the church plan on offing me any time soon?"

"…No." Seteth let out a long breath and said, "My apologies, Professor. It appears that stress has taken its toll on me." He shook his head. "I do not mean to appear hostile, it is just…" He frowned. "There are many things occurring. Too many oddities occurring at once to be mere coincidence." He looked at me and said, "I _must_ be cautious. You understand, do you not?"

I sighed. So it wasn't that he had anything personal against me. Still, to be so dutiful was a refreshing sight to see. Seteth always was the more reasonable one in the game… if not for his blind devotion at times.

"I do. It comes with your job, right? And from talking with Rhea, it seems like you're the one running most things around here."

Seteth let out a dry laugh. "She let that slip, did she?" After that, he turned around and started walking again.

I walked next to Seteth and said, "I'm sorry about you getting swamped with paperwork the night before."

Seteth shook his head and said, "It is fine… Ah. So that is why you asked me what I preferred."

I nodded.

Seteth smiled. "How thoughtful of you. But the sentiment is more than enough… Hm." He placed his right hand on his chin and said, "Well… if you truly wish to do something out of appreciation, might I ask that you catch a trout for Flayn? I have been meaning to treat her since I have been so busy these past few days, but I have lacked the time to fish and prepare her favorite meal."

"Got it."

A trout was easy enough to catch. There should be a few in the fish pond. A bit of mana and a fishing pole and we'd be good to go.

Sothis sighed. "How pragmatic."

Hey, I don't fish for fun. I fish for food.

Seteth glanced at me and nodded. "Then I thank you, Professor. Ah, and here we are."

We arrived in front of a looming pair of double doors, the same ones where I'd stood and heard the argument between Hanneman and Manuela. However, this time it was eerily quiet. At the same time, I felt a hum of mana in the air, countless wards and silence spells, along with other magic I couldn't figure out so easily.

Seteth gestured towards the door and said, "After you, Professor."

I nodded and pushed the doors open.

* * *

Inside, the council room, or perhaps the war council room, was mostly the same as I saw it last. Spacious, reminiscent of an auditorium, and with four long tables set up in a rectangle in the center along with chairs.

The differences lay in the décor.

Before, the long boards lining the walls were empty. Now, they were filled with tactical formations and arrows, diagrams I knew nothing about. In addition to that, the large map that had been opposite of the main entrance was completely marked up, circles, question marks, and other symbols sketched all over in red.

Seteth walked in behind me and the doors shut with a loud _thud_.

I looked away from the surroundings and focused on the people in the room.

Rhea sat at the head of the tables, directly in front of the map. Unlike her usual robes, she was dressed in silver chainmail and had the Sword of Seiros sheathed at her left side. The usual serenity about her was gone, replaced by the steely resolve that Seiros had. However, that expression softened a bit when she saw me.

Clockwise from where Rhea sat, at the side to my right, sat Hanneman and Dimitri.

The elderly Crest Scholar muttered to himself, scribbling notes in a large tome he had placed on the table in front of him. He looked completely absorbed, oblivious to the world at large.

I wondered if he had even managed to get any sleep.

Hanneman's monocle was slightly askew and his gray hair had strands sticking up everywhere. Even his beige coat and pants were creased and ruffled.

In contrast, Dimitri was the opposite… well, mostly. The prince was prim and proper, his black uniform and blue cloak completely set in place. However, it seemed that he had given up on combing his hair, letting it hang around him in a shaggy mess. No, on closer look, it seemed like it had gotten that way from him running his hand through it over and over, something he was doing at that very moment.

I glanced to my left, counterclockwise from Rhea.

There, I saw Claude and, surprisingly, Manuela.

The former songstress was pale, but from how she was glaring at Claude, it seemed that she was energetic enough. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any lasting effects from being attacked.

As for Claude, the archer lord had leaned back and kicked his feet up on the table, staring at the ceiling. He glanced at me and gave a lazy wave, but then went back to staring at the ceiling. Completely nonchalant and relaxed… or so it seemed.

In that brief glance, I caught his true state of mind. Those eyes had been focused, calculating.

Just what had happened?

Sothis drifted beside me and said, "What do you think has happened, Byleth?"

Can you take a look around the monastery?

Sothis shook her head. "I cannot. The countermeasures placed by the Archbishop perform a similar role to my 'sight'. No, it can be said to be the exact same, and thus clashes. While I am capable of using it myself, it would directly alert her to my presence."

The vague sense of dread I had felt walking over was beginning to solidify.

I gazed over at the last side of the tables. From the way things were set up, it was supposed to be for the Black Eagles. Yet… I didn't see any sign of Edelgard.

"Byleth." Rhea smiled and gestured towards the empty table. "We've been waiting for you. Please, have a seat."

Seteth nodded and said, "Yes, Professor. Take a seat and we will begin the meeting shortly."

I didn't move. Instead, I glanced around the room before saying, "Where's Edelgard?"

Silence.

The sense of dread in my chest grew.

Seteth eventually said, "Do you not know where she is?"

I shook my head. "You were the first one I saw this morning, Seteth. And you said this was a meeting with the houses and their professors… so where's Edelgard? Did you tell her?"

For a second, I thought Seteth would say he didn't. However, Seteth nodded.

"Of course," he said. "I managed to meet Hubert early this morning and requested that he informed Edelgard of this meeting."

That wasn't a confirmation.

I grit my teeth.

Dammit. Dammit, dammit, dammit! I knew I shouldn't have let her go off by herself!

"Byleth?" Rhea stared at me. "Is something the matter?"

I spun around, ready to run off and comb the entire monastery to find Edelgard.

And then the doors opened.

Footsteps echoed, the soft click of boots against the wooden floor. Afterwards, a weak voice echoed. "My… apologies everyone. It appears that I slept in longer than I anticipated."

Dimitri jumped out of his seat. "El!"

Edelgard smiled at Dimitri. "Good morning, Dimitri."

It was a refreshing expression, one completely free of the severity Edelgard usually had. The look of someone who had gotten rid of all their burdens. An eye catching, beautiful smile.

But that wasn't what drew my gaze. Instead, my eyes went to her neck, what little skin revealed in her uniform.

There, I saw black lines. Against her pristine white skin, they clearly stood out. Spidery and jagged, they were similar to veins but looked more like cracks.

Hubert stood beside Edelgard, helping her up. His expression was somber, and he only had eyes for Edelgard. At least, that was the case until Edelgard turned to look at me.

The gloomy young man followed his liege's gaze and then looked at me. He frowned and let out a soft sigh.

I walked forward, stopping a few steps in front of Edelgard.

Sothis followed me and said, "I take it back. It would appear that the princess's… that Edelgard's decisions are just as irrational when they concern you."

I ignored Sothis.

Edelgard laughed. "What is it, my teacher?"

It was weak. Both the words and the laughter. Soft. However… as soft as they might have been, they were the aftermath of her resolve.

I didn't say anything. Instead, I simply held out my left hand to her.

Hubert shook his head and took a step back, carefully ensuring that Edelgard could stand alone before he did. "I will leave you in the care of our dear Professor, Lady Edelgard."

Edelgard turned to look at Hubert and smiled. "Thank you, Hubert. Truly."

Hubert's stony expression cracked for a brief moment, revealing a slim smile. "There is no need, Lady Edelgard. I simply did my duty."

Edelgard took my hand.

It was cold, far colder than any person's hand should be.

I subconsciously held it a bit tighter.

And then I saw that the black lines were there as well. Faint, but still present.

My eyes narrowed and I glanced up at Hubert.

He stared back. Did he see something he liked? Either way, he gave a satisfied nod and then left, walking out through those looming doors.

Edelgard stared at my hand and muttered, "So your hands were this warm…" She shook her head and said, "Well, my teacher? Will you support me?"

Edelgard gestured towards the table, but I knew that wasn't what she meant.

"…You're an idiot, Delly." I muttered that back at her and shook my head. However, I made sure to move to her side, holding her arm close to me.

Edelgard leaned against me, wrapping both of her arms against my own to support her. At the same time, she muttered, soft enough that even I barely heard it. "Perhaps I am, my teacher. A fool, throwing away the world… a moth drawn to the flames. Even so…"

Like that, I led Edelgard to our seats at the table. Only then did she reluctantly part with me.

Sometime between when I walked to Edelgard and offered her my hand, Seteth had moved to Rhea's right side.

In addition to that, all eyes were on us. That was to be expected, given the brief exchange we just had… but I seemed to be missing something.

Those weren't the gazes of people that were surprised or confused. But rather… expectant gazes. The looks of people who were waiting for an explanation.

"Well," Rhea said. "Shall we begin?"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Faith, trust, and belief. Lots of things are coalescing at once, and a new path is brewing as a result. Where it leads, well... we'll see.

Since the DLC dropped, there might not be a chapter tomorrow. I need to run through Crimson Flower again with Jeritza to see how he plays into things.

I hope that the chapter was enjoyable. A bit of a fakeout again, but that's what keeps things interesting, right?

Thanks as always for reading and leaving your input. I truly appreciate it.

Until next time!

P.S. Cookie to whoever guess what happened to Edelgard and what the 'situation' is.


	34. Scarlet Camellia

"To begin with," Rhea said. "We have greatly increased security measures around the monastery." She glanced at Seteth.

The advisor nodded and said, "In order to assure the protection of both you students and the monastery, every visitor from henceforth will be required to perform an extensive background check. Barring that, they will be accompanied by a member of the Knights of Seiros at all times."

I frowned. While that sounded good… would it work?

Claude raised his hand and said, "Lady Rhea?"

"Yes, Claude?"

"Will that really help? I mean, considering how easily Imperial Soldiers managed to make it in… what if there's a traitor? Not to doubt the capabilities of you or the Knights of Seiros but…"

Rhea nodded. "That is a reasonable doubt. However, I can assure you that I have taken that into consideration. While the exact details are something that cannot be publicly disclosed, rest assured that a situation such as invaders sneaking into the monastery will not occur again."

"…That doesn't really help assure me, but I guess I've gotta believe you, huh?"

"In any case," Rhea said. "I would like to say that any student outing from the monastery grounds will require accompaniment by a Knight of Seiros or a professor." She frowned. "I understand that this is stifling, but it is for the safety of us all."

Claude sighed. "Hilda and Lysithea aren't gonna like that…"

Dimitri frowned. "Neither will Mercedes and Annette… though I suppose that will discourage Sylvain's more bold ventures." At the end of that, his frown turned into a wry smile.

"Quite." Rhea smiled and then turned to look at me. "As for you, Byleth… while I cannot stop you from leaving unaccompanied." She pointedly stared at my clothes and said, "I would kindly ask you to at the least inform a member of the staff in regard to your departure. Think of it as a common courtesy… even if it is as simple as leaving to pick up spare clothing."

I shrugged, making sure to keep a neutral expression. "I can't make any promises, but I'll try to keep that in mind."

"That is all I ask, Byleth." Rhea nodded.

A pleasant and reasonable request. Increased security, chaperones… Rhea and Seteth had talked about what was going to happen, but not what _had_ happened.

I glanced at Edelgard and saw that she was keeping a neutral expression as well. She noticed me staring though and gave a slim smile in return.

Sothis drifted over and sat down beside me. While I felt her presence, it wasn't physical, since the chair neither moved nor made a noise to indicate someone was there.

The goddess turned towards me and said, "You should focus more on the meeting than your princess, Byleth."

I averted my gaze and glanced back at Rhea. Still… I couldn't help but worry about Edelgard. Nothing like that had ever shown up in the game. Black lines laced all over the body and the mysterious circumstances of last night as well as the increased security…

"She is fine, Byleth." Sothis sighed and said, "She will not be dying any time soon, regardless of her appearance."

…That implies that she will be dying. And you're not just talking about the end of a mortal's lifespan, are you?

Sothis shook her head and muttered, "You are oddly perceptive when it comes to the princess. To your dear Edelgard… but you are correct."

Then-

Before I could finish that thought, Rhea spoke again.

"Despite the increased security measures, know that the mock battle will still continue as scheduled. Like the Battle of the Eagle and Lion, it is a long-held tradition. To do away with it would be most unfair to all who had looked forward to it, would it not?"

Manuela sighed. "And here I was thinking I could catch a break…" She shook her head and pulled out a metal flask before taking a long drink from it.

Claude put his hands behind his head and said, "Don't worry, Professor Manuela. I've got everything in the bag. You just need to be a good chaperone and keep an eye on us during the battle."

"Heh." Manuela shook her head. "Well, you're the one who managed to keep the deerlings alive after my attack… I suppose a little trust won't hurt."

…I felt like Manuela was just trying to get out of doing proper work, but considering what happened to her, I couldn't really blame her.

Also, dealing with Claude was a thing. I already had a headache enough thinking about what he might be doing behind the scenes… Knowing that he was a time traveler and his personality, I could only imagine how much fun he was having making obscure references and knowing remarks.

Dimitri frowned. "So the battle will occur in spite of these circumstances… Felix will no doubt be thrilled, however…" He glanced at Rhea and said, "Are you certain this is the best course of action, Lady Rhea? Was it not so that Byleth and the Black Eagles were ambushed at the field we are to use for the mock battle?"

Ah. I forgot about that.

Sothis scoffed. "Should I inform your father to prepare the ring for your proposal? Considering how much of your thoughts the princess is taking, perhaps that would help you focus on more important things."

Hey, there's no need to be snippy about it. I honestly forgot. Between the Flame Emperor showing up twice, learning Claude was a time traveler, Dimitri potentially being a time traveler, and Edelgard doing something serious last night, it felt like forever ago that I planned for us to practice for the mock battle.

Sothis shook her head and remained quiet.

Rhea looked at Dimitri and said, "This is true. However, Seteth has dealt with that issue. Seteth?"

The church advisor nodded and said, "On the day of the battle, both myself and my personal wyvern company will be present. Furthermore, we will survey the field ahead of time and place down protective wards for the duration of the mock battle."

Claude raised an eyebrow. "You, Seteth? Not to be a doubter, but you don't seem that strong."

A probing answer. It seemed like Claude was confirming facts.

Seteth smiled. "I am not Lady Rhea's most trusted advisor and the coordinator of the Knights of Seiros without reason, Claude. Be assured that I can handle myself quite well in a battle, let alone the simple skirmish that would occur in the case of our unknown enemy laying an ambush."

Dimitri nodded, seemingly satisfied with that answer. "Very well." He paused and placed his hand on his chin. "I suppose that, should such an ambush occur, we would have the advantage in numbers regardless."

That was true… our issue came from the fact that we were outnumbered at least three to one… and that the Agarthans and the Flame Emperor had the high ground. If that wasn't the case, considering how skilled the Black Eagles were, it would have been at least an even fight if not a rout.

Rhea nodded and said, "That covers the logistics of our plans for the Officers Academy." Her eyes narrowed. "Now… Claude. Would you care to report what you and the Golden Deer discovered last night?"

I straightened in my seat and focused. It looked like we would finally be covering the reason why we were all here.

Claude nodded. "Sure." He stretched and said, "You're all probably aware of how Professor Manuela got attacked yesterday."

Manuela grumbled and said, "Don't remind me. I get enough back pain as it is already."

"…My dear professor's troubles aside," Claude said. "We, being me and the Golden Deer, decided to chase after the attacker right away."

Rhea frowned. "One moment, Claude. Do you mean to say that you witnessed the one that attacked Manuela? And that you left her there without treatment?"

I paused to consider that.

Rhea had a point. She said that she found Manuela by chance. Despite her questionable mental state, Rhea wasn't one to lie about things like that.

And Leonie mentioned that she had seen me attack Manuela, no that 'we' had seen me attack Manuela. Yet, Manuela was in her room, bleeding out when Rhea found her.

Claude scratched the back of his head. "Well, we _did_ give her first aid. Marianne healed the worst of it, but we couldn't just let a suspicious guy give us the slip, could we?" He shrugged and said, "Besides, I came back to tell you about us going after the guy, didn't I?"

He seemed nonchalant about it, but…

"How cold," Sothis said. "He could not have known that Rhea would find Manuela."

I agreed. Maybe my accusation of him being worried about Manuela being capable of using Warp had more merit than I thought.

Seteth narrowed his eyes and said, "That was irresponsible of you, Claude. I would expect a house leader to know better than that. Could you not have waited or alerted a Knight of Seiros before running off? Manuela could very well have-"

"-Died, I know. But the goddess protects her children, right? Especially in this monastery. I doubted that she'd let someone as important as Manuela die beneath her watch."

Claude didn't look over, but I was sure that his words were directed at me.

Manuela scoffed. "Well I'm just _thrilled_ to find out how much you and the Golden Deer care about me. Just leave me there bleeding out on the floor, why don't you…" She grumbled and took a swig from her flask.

…Is that a good idea to be doing so soon after recovering from a fatal wound?

"It is distilled elixir, if you were curious, Byleth," Sothis said.

Ah. That makes sense.

Dimitri frowned and said, "I didn't take you for a very faithful person, Claude."

Claude shrugged and said, "Let's just say I recently had a change of heart about my faith."

Rhea sighed. "Very well. In that case, I suppose I cannot fault you. And, by the grace of the goddess, Manuela was saved, so all is well."

"In your books, maybe," Manuela grumbled. "Some students I've got… dammit. Knew I shouldn't have bet against Hanneman on who Byleth would choose…"

"Anyway," Claude said. "We managed to corner the guy who attacked Manuela outside in the forests near the monastery. Called himself the Flame Emperor and said he'd 'reset this accursed world even if it costs me everything.'"

Hm… well, I already knew that it wasn't Edelgard, but that confirmed it. Unless Claude was still playing 5D chess to throw me off, that also meant it probably wasn't him either. But… reset this accursed world at the cost of everything huh?

That lined up well with what Thales and the Agarthans believed. But… I didn't think there was any character that would believe that. Well, except for an evil Byleth.

…Unless there was someone else here too?

I froze.

Right. I didn't consider that. 'I' was here as Byleth, but I never found out why or how. Could it be that yet another person-

"It cannot." Sothis interrupted my thoughts and said, "Your presence alone has already distorted time and Fate to this extent. And that is while mixing with Byleth's soul and having my will as a buffer between you and the world. If there was another 'otherworlder' present, the effects would have been much more pronounced."

Meaning…?

Sothis sighed. "I would have realized it and pointed it out to you."

But you've been wrong before, right? And with everything that's going on-

"All of that is a result of _your_ actions. Since you are entwined with Byleth and he with me, your actions cause ripples that I cannot detect as they involve myself. That would not be true for another."

Even if they merged like me?

"_Especially_ if they had merged like you with Byleth."

Then who is-

"-the Flame Emperor?"

I blinked. Did I say that out loud?

"This time," Sothis said. "You did not. That was Rhea, questioning Claude."

Ah, thanks Sothis.

Claude shook his head and said, "I don't know. All I know is that he was strong. Fast too. Not only that, but he had a weird sword and armor that looked similar to the Heroes Relics…"

Wait, what? I didn't remember the Flame Emperor using those…

Seteth stared at Claude, his gaze severe. "Are you certain?"

Claude nodded. "While I haven't inherited Failnaught yet…"

I resisted the urge to scoff.

"…I'm more than familiar with how it looks, as well as the aura it gives off. That guy had something similar, but… well, more sinister. I mean, Failnaught is already kind of creepy being bone and all along with the creepy veins, but that guy's equipment seemed actually alive."

Seteth glanced at Rhea and the two shared a _look_.

I glanced at Edelgard to see if she had any idea about it. From the grim look on her face, it seemed she did.

Eventually, Rhea sighed and said, "While I cannot approve of the actions you and the Golden Deer have taken, Claude, I must thank you for this information." She paused and frowned. "Paired with what else has occurred, it appears that something grave indeed is spreading throughout Fodlan."

"What else has occurred…?" I looked up to Rhea and said, "What happened?"

"Ah." She paused. "I suppose you would not know of it yet, Byleth. Often I forget that you are not as close to the ruling powers of Fodlan as we and your students are."

"Huh?"

That… didn't sound good.

Rhea turned to look at Edelgard and said, "Before I explain the situation… Miss Hresvelg." She paused and said, "I know it must have been a traumatic experience for you but-"

"It's fine, Lady Rhea."

Sothis hummed and said, "So we finally hear what happened to your dear princ-"

Quiet.

Sothis huffed, but nodded and remained silent.

Edelgard glanced at me and then looked forward. "Late last night, while I was returning from the chapel after sending a message, I came across Tomas… or so it seemed. When I left, he attacked me with the intent to kill." She frowned and said, "It was… unexpected. While I managed to defeat him using my dagger, in his death throes he cast a spell that resulted in… this." She gestured towards her neck, specifically the black lines.

I was calm. No, I forced myself to remain calm and think about what was going on.

Edelgard… while she put it tame like that and pinned it on Tomas, or rather Solon, I knew that it didn't play out like that. With the resolve she had when she left last night, it was more likely that she forcibly severed her connection with the Agarthans by getting rid of their main informant.

I wasn't too sure how she managed it, but Edelgard didn't seem to be lying about Solon being dead. Yet… that also meant she wasn't lying about what happened to her.

I lifted my left hand and stared at it, remembering how cold Edelgard's hand was. That… wasn't the warmth that a human should have. Instead, it was more like a corpse.

A loud _bang_ echoed in the council room. Dimitri scowled. "That bastard! I knew I should have done something about him!"

Rhea sighed and said, "Calm yourself, Dimitri. None of us could have known that Tomas was a double agent."

Seteth nodded. "Indeed." He frowned. "To think that Tomas had betrayed us… no, to think that I worked all these decades along a man like him…"

Dimitri grit his teeth and looked down, his eyes obscured by his messy hair. But he took a deep breath and calmed himself. After that he looked up at Edelgard and said, "El. Are you alright?"

Edelgard frowned. "While I appreciate the concern, Dimitri, would you not call me by such a childish name?"

Dimitri paused. "…Forgive me. Then, Edelgard. Your body… is it alright?"

"I am fine. A little fatigued, but fine."

I stared at Edelgard.

Did she realize I wasn't buying her excuse? She smiled at me and said, "Truly, my teacher. I am fine."

"…If you say so." I looked up at Rhea and said, "Now, what is this 'situation' that you guys are keeping from me? And what's so important that you're wearing armor instead of your robes, R- Lady Rhea?"

Rhea glanced at Seteth.

Seteth sighed and said, "…We have lost contact with Catherine and Jeralt."

I forcibly let out a breath to calm down.

Rhea shook her head and said, "Catherine has been on a mission to survey the Western Church this past month. Usually, she sends a messenger pigeon to report, but today she has not."

Claude shrugged and said, "That's nothing to worry about, right? It's just a day."

Dimitri shook his head. "That may be the case, but Lady Catherine is extremely devout. She would not dare miss a day in reporting to Lady Rhea."

Claude narrowed his eyes. "And how would you know that, Dimitri?"

"Lady Catherine is a former noble of the Kingdom. While I did not know her personally, I know of her from both Rodrigue and Glenn."

That was interesting and all, but… I looked up at Rhea and said, "What do you mean you lost contact with my father?"

…He should be fine, right? And you warned him of what could happen, right Sothis?

"I have," Sothis said. "Your father should be the least of your concerns."

Rhea shook her head and said, "Jeralt went to deal with some bandits at Zanado, but should have returned this morning along with the knights accompanying him."

"…It's still early though, isn't it? There's a chance he just isn't back yet." My words sounded weak to even my ears. Jeralt… my dad was nothing if not punctual. That was why he got me up at the crack of dawn that day. For him not to be back in time…

"Ordinarily, yes. However… this is not an ordinary situation." Rhea glanced at Seteth.

He nodded and said, "In addition to losing contact with Catherine and Jeralt, our sources in the Kingdom and the Empire have gone silent. The last that we heard from them were messages saying that Emperor Ionius has passed away from a heart attack, leaving Lord Arundel as the Regent Emperor, and that the Regent King of Faerghus has gone missing."

I froze. That…

"A coup d'état?" Edelgard whispered. She shook her head and stood up. "Hubert did not tell me this! I- urk." She winced and clutched her heart.

I reached out and grabbed her hand. "Relax, Edelgard. Everything will work out."

A lie. Everything was clearly _not_ working out. But I had to be calm. Byleth was the source of calm, so me who took his place… who had become him. I had to be calm in his stead.

"My teacher…" Edelgard sighed and sat back down.

Dimitri frowned. "This is a trap."

Claude nodded. "Gotta agree with you there, Mitri. The Regent King of Faerghus going missing, the old Emperor kicking the bucket… it's a textbook trap if there ever was one."

"I agree," Rhea said. "And that is why I am going to confirm it myself."

"Lady Rhea!" Seteth shook his head. "You did not inform me of this decision!"

Rhea looked amused. "Why else would I have donned my equipment were I not to personally embark, Seteth?"

"That… Even so! The monastery cannot afford to lose you!"

"And it shall not. Nor will I go alone. Both Gilbert and Shamir will go with me, and we will reconvene with Jeralt at Zanado before heading out to the Empire."

"But if you leave, who is to protect the monastery?"

Rhea turned to look at me, a knowing glint in her eyes. "I am certain that Byleth will do a fine job of that."

…Did Rhea know? I think she knew. There wasn't any other explanation for it. But…

"Him, Rhea?" Seteth said. "But-"

"Besides Byleth, I am giving you full authority, Seteth. Until I return, you are Archbishop in all but name."

"This…"

Rhea shook her head. "My dear… friend. This is something that I _must_ do. Furthermore…" She glanced off in the distance, her eyes narrowed. "Zanado is calling me."

Dimitri stood up. "Lady Rhea." He shook his head and said, "I must insist that you change your mind. While I do not mean to belittle the skills of Sir Gilbert or Shamir… what shall we do if you are captured?" He stared at Rhea and said, "You are the central point of the Church of Seiros. Its primary anchor. With you gone…"

Claude waved his hand and said, "I'm sure she'll be fine. The Archbishop's more than just a figure head, you know? Right, Lady Rhea?"

Rhea smiled.

Manuela sighed and said, "Would it kill you to at least pay some proper respect, Claude? Make it seem like my teaching isn't completely pointless?"

"Ah, sorry Professor Manuela." Claude shook his head and said, "I'll try to remember next time."

"Next time?! That's… hah. As best as I'm going to get, huh?" She shook her head and took a long drink from her flask.

…Maybe there was more than just a diluted elixir in there…

"In any case," Rhea said. "While this situation appears dire, all is not lost. There may be some force at play behind the scenes, some invisible hand pulling the strings of Fate, but for the moment, everything is stable." She glanced at me, the students, and the other professors before saying, "While I cannot tell you to not worry, I ask that you continue on as always. We must not give this invisible enemy the satisfaction of us becoming affected by their schemes."

Seteth sighed. "…As the Archbishop says. Meeting adjourned."

"Ah." Rhea spoke up. "Byleth, Hanneman, and Miss Hresvelg. Would you remain for a moment? There is something further I wish to discuss with you three."

I nodded. There was a lot I wanted to ask her as well… a lot I needed to confirm and straighten out.

"Well," Claude said. "Imma head out." He got up from his chair and stretched. "See you everyone." He waved and left first.

Manuela got up next and sighed. "Put on a happy face, Manuela. Come on, you've done this enough in the past…" Muttering that to herself, she walked off after Claude.

Seteth sighed and shook his head. "I suppose I should prepare for the Archbishop's departure… By your leave, Rhea."

Rhea smiled and said, "Thank you again, Seteth."

"…One of us must be reasonable." Saying that, he walked out.

Dimitri nodded and said, "Then I shall leave as well." He glanced at Hanneman and said, "Should I gather the Blue Lions today, Professor?"

"Hm?" The Crest Scholar shook his head. "Ah… I do believe that I will be preoccupied today. Apologies, Dimitri. But if you would be so kind as to run the drills we discussed the other day…"

"Understood." Dimitri nodded and walked towards the entrance. As he passed by me and Edelgard though, he paused, his back facing us. "It may be pretentious of me to say this, El," he said. "However… I am truly glad that you are safe."

The words were soft, barely audible.

After that, he left, leaving just me, Edelgard, Rhea, and Hanneman.

* * *

The doors closed with a _thud_. When they did, Rhea turned to Edelgard and said, "Again, I must apologize to you, Edelgard. I would never have expected Tomas of all people to be a double agent."

Edelgard shook her head. "It's fine. His disguise was flawless."

…It really was. The first time I played the game, I wasn't even the slightest bit suspicious about him. In fact, I thought that he might have been recruitable later…

"Which goes to show your lack of awareness." Sothis sighed. "I continue to wonder how and why you of all people were entwined with Byleth…"

Hey! It's not like he would have been much better. I mean, he would have been completely fooled by Solon and Monica, right? I at least knew better than to trust the latter.

"Because you saw the cutscene."

…And?

Sothis shook her head.

Rhea stared at Edelgard and said, "And your body? I have casted the strongest restorative spells on you, and I know you mentioned to Dimitri that you are fine, but…"

Edelgard shook her head. "Like I said, I am a bit weak and fatigued, but otherwise I am fine."

…Despite saying things like that, I felt… no, I _knew_ Edelgard was anything but fine.

A human body shouldn't be that cold. Not only that…

I glanced over at her again, focusing specifically on her mana. At least, what I could detect of it… or what I should have been able to detect of it.

Usually, people emitted some level of mana. That was truer in the case of those with Crests, a bit of that being leaked in the air unless actively suppressed.

Edelgard… was not suppressing it, and yet she didn't emit any mana.

Considering what mana _was_…

Rhea turned to Hanneman and said, "Professor Hanneman. Have you determined the cause of Miss Hresvelg's condition? I know it was on short notice, but…"

The Crest Scholar finally looked up from his tome. Hanneman let out a sigh and said, "I have a hypothesis, yes. However… it will be difficult to test." He looked at me and said, "I may require your help, Byleth."

Rhea paused. "…You require Byleth's aid?"

"Of course. He is-" Hanneman tensed, just a split second, and then said, "…A person with a rather unique perspective on Crestology."

"I see." Rhea stared at me and said, "…It would appear you possess many skills, Byleth." She smiled and said, "I am glad to see that such talent continues in your family."

Edelgard frowned. "What do you mean, Lady Rhea?"

"Ah." Rhea shook her head. "Nothing much. I am just glad to see that Jeralt's capabilities have not been lost. In any case." She stood up, the serene persona of the Archbishop gone and replaced by Seiros's steely resolve. "I should go and prepare." She turned to look at me and said, "I leave Miss Hresvelg in the capable hands of you and Professor Hanneman, Byleth."

And then it was just me, Edelgard, and Hanneman.

Hanneman turned towards me and Edelgard. "Shall we head to my office?"

Edelgard grabbed my hand. "My teacher. I… leave the decision to you."

It was cold. Her hands, soft and delicate, completely lacked the warmth of life. And mana.

Even so, she was trusting in me. No, she had faith in me.

I held her hand a bit tighter and stood up. "Come on, Delly. Let's get you fixed up."

* * *

We returned to Hanneman's office… or rather, his lab.

Like before, notes, papers, and books were scattered all over the place. However, there was a slight difference. The Crest Analyzer was missing, replaced with a small table and some chairs. Overall, that meant there was less room, but it felt a bit cozier at least.

I led Edelgard into the room. She was tense, walking close to me and carefully surveying the surroundings. Was she worried about being outed to Rhea?

Hanneman walked into the room and closed the door behind him. After that, he cast Ward and Silence on the surroundings, notably lacking in loopholes.

It seemed that Hanneman was even sharper than I anticipated.

After finishing his spells, Hanneman glanced at Edelgard and said, "You need not be nervous, Miss Hresvelg. I assure you that everything here will be placed in the utmost confidentiality. Even were the Archbishop were to order me to give her the results, I would give my life before I complied."

Edelgard let out a breath and said, "Thank you, Professor Hanneman."

Hanneman moved over to his desk, rummaging around for some tools. "I would not thank me so soon." He paused and looked at me. "Does she know?"

"Hm? Edelgard glanced at me. "Is there something I should be aware of, my teacher?"

I paused.

…What. No snippy remark, Sothis?

The goddess appeared beside me in a flash of gold light. "Why should I? This is the path you have chosen, is it not?"

The path I chose. Right. I made my decision already.

Edelgard trusted me. Hanneman had faith in me. While I didn't know everything going on… that was enough. No, it had to be enough.

The future was unknown, but assured to be chaotic. Thus, to prepare for it… I had to at least lay out some of my cards.

"There is." I stared at Edelgard and paused, wondering just how much to say. "I…"

"Yes?"

"…I'm the incarnation of the progenitor god."

Sothis sighed and muttered, "So you will only reveal that much, huh?"

Edelgard stared back. "And?"

A casual response, neither surprised nor concerned. But it wasn't the response of someone who already knew, rather… complete acceptance?

Hanneman walked back, carrying a couple empty vials and his miniature Crest Analyzer. "You are taking this awfully well, Miss Hresvelg."

Edelgard laughed and then took a seat at the table. "Even if my teacher told me that he was the devil himself, determined to destroy this entire world, I have already made my decision to walk beside him."

I blinked. That… huh. So she trusted me that much. It felt kind of wrong, considering that I didn't think I'd earned it yet, but-

Hanneman nodded. "So I see. And this has nothing to do with the fact that you have less than a year to live?"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Hm... this was a bit of a slog. Not too sure how I feel about this chapter...

Either way, I hope it was enjoyable nonetheless.

On a side note, Jeritza is great and you should definitely go replay Crimson Flower. Also recruit Mercedes if you do. For the love of Sothis and all that is good, please don't forget to recruit Mercedes if you replay Crimson Flower.

Also, postponement on the passing out of cookies til next chapter. I'd planned to reveal it here, but figured that was a good cutting point for today.

Thanks for reading and your input, as always.

Until tomorrow!


	35. Begonia Sanguinea

My heart stopped. No, it wasn't working in the first place… but for a brief moment, it felt like everything froze.

Edelgard… wouldn't live for longer than a year? She had less than a year left to live?

I turned to look at her.

She didn't meet my gaze. Instead, she stared at Hanneman and said, "How did you know, Professor Hanneman?"

Hanneman placed the vials and his scanner on the table in the middle of the room. After that he looked up at Edelgard and said, "As I said earlier, I had my hypothesis." He gestured towards the black lines on Edelgard's skin and said, "While I have not seen anything exactly like those, they bear a steep resemblance to the tendrils that emerge when one is overtaken by one of the Heroes' Relics." His eyes narrowed. "None have ever survived beyond the year once that has occurred."

Edelgard shook her head and said, "You are truly a brilliant mind, Professor Hanneman. It is a pity that you gave up your noble title to study Crestology in the church. The Empire could have used a person like you."

Hanneman shook his head. "Here is where I can be of the most use."

"Perhaps…"

I snapped out of my daze and grabbed Edelgard's shoulders. "What did you do?!"

Edelgard's eyes widened. And then she smiled, a soft expression, and carefully removed my hands. "I told you, did I not, my teacher? I did what I must."

I narrowed my eyes. "And that was?"

Edelgard stared at me, her violet eyes calm- no, resigned. While she looked relieved, she also looked a bit guilty. Regretful. Still, she shook her head and said, "It doesn't matter now, my teacher. What matters is simply what you decide to do."

"And what am I going to do if you're going to die in a year!?"

Sothis floated over and placed a hand on my right shoulder. "Calm yourself, Byleth. You will be of no help to anyone if you allow your emotions to overtake you."

"I AM CALM!"

Edelgard blinked and said, "…My teacher?"

Hanneman gave me a strange look and said, "Byleth. Are you… well?"

I took a deep breath and stepped back. Not trusting my feet, I pulled out a chair and sat down. "…Sorry. Just… overwhelmed."

Calm down. Right. Calm down. It wasn't good to be rash. Wasn't good to be irritated.

_Ba-dump._

The sound of my heartbeat echoed in my head. Was it real, or imaginary?

Either way, I focused on that until it faded. When it did, I was… marginally more composed.

Hanneman sighed and sat down across from me. "I understand how you feel, Byleth. However, you must remember that all is not lost. Nor should you give up."

I nodded. Hanneman was right. I was just… shocked at that bit of news. Of all the things that could have happened, that outcome definitely wasn't one of them. Not to mention the fact that the day had already rolled over and I couldn't Divine Pulse back to stop Edelgard…

Edelgard took a seat beside me and grabbed my hand.

I glanced up at her.

She shook her head. "I apologize, my teacher. I… didn't expect that you would react like this. It… I am glad for your emotions, truly. But-"

I looked at her hand, pale, cold, and riddled with black lines, like vines piercing into her skin. "…Don't do anything this dumb again, Delly. If you do I… don't know what I would do."

A strange mix of emotion. Something that I couldn't tell was myself, Byleth, a mix of us two, or something else entirely. Either way… I knew one thing. If Edelgard were to die… even if it was something that I could undo with a Divine Pulse, the memory of that would not end well. For anyone involved.

_Ba-dump._

My heart throbbed.

Edelgard stared at me and then nodded. "I promise, my teacher."

"Good… Good." I shook my head to get rid of the weird feeling and then looked up at Hanneman. "You seem to know what's going on, Hanneman. Care to enlighten me?"

"Of course." Hanneman adjusted his monocle and then reached for the tome he had been reading during the meeting. He flipped through it and said, "As you already know, Byleth, Crests are power manifest. The crystallization of strength given… or in some cases, taken, from the Goddess." He glanced over at me.

I nodded. "I remember."

A fact that I was even more assured of after tracing out the patterns of multiple Crests. Ancient mana that could affect the world itself when activated.

Hanneman frowned and said, "Your conjecture of Crests being mana brought a question to mind yesterday. If Crests were simply mana, why would a Heroes Relic consume a user without a Crest? And why were those bearing a Crest able to use a Relic that did not correspond to their Crest without being consumed?"

That… was a good point. I didn't think about that too much when I was considering the problem of Crests shortening lifespans.

Even so…

"What does that have to do with it?"

"It has _everything_ to do with it. As well as Miss Hresvelg's situation." Hanneman placed his book on the table, opening it to a page. "See here. This is a diagram of a demonic beast formed when one is enveloped by a Relic."

I glanced at it.

There was a sketch of a demonic beast, the dragon or dinosaur type. On its forehead, a Crest Stone was drawn and circled. There was also a sketch in red of where the human body might be kept in the whole anatomy of it.

"Do you see it, Byleth?" Hanneman said.

I frowned. There were a bunch of lines stemming out from the sketch of the person, connecting to each part of the demonic beast. Altogether, it was messy and hard to read, but I could manage to make it out. And from what I saw…

"A one to one correspondence?"

"Exactly." Hanneman nodded and said, "From all accounts of those that have slain demonic beasts, as well as the few rare accounts where they have been captured for study, there have been lines piercing into the host. Black tendrils that seem to overtake the host entirely and co-opt it to form a new body."

He turned the page, revealing a grisly diagram. A step by step process of where the tendrils pierced through the skin and created the demonic beast, conjuring flesh from seemingly nowhere.

"This is no benign process. Nor is this one that occurs by happenstance. Instead…"

"There's a logic to it," I muttered. "Reason."

Hanneman nodded, satisfied with my response. "Right you are, Byleth."

I frowned and continued staring at the diagram. Something about the way the black lines spread out through the host body looked familiar.

"I have come to the opinion that Crests are not 'simply mana' as you hypothesized, Byleth. While the effect of a Crest is to generate mana and form a pattern, there is more to it than that… at least when it is present in blood." He tapped at the picture and said, "This phenomenon illustrates intelligence. A sentience- no, a will."

I shook my head. "That doesn't make sense… I don't see anything like that when I use my Crests."

Edelgard blinked and said, "Crests, my teacher? As in, plural?"

"Ah, right." I shook my head. "It's a long story, but I can replicate the effects of Crests somewhat by recreating their mana signature."

Edelgard blinked again and said, "…Could you repeat that?"

"I can recreate Crests?"

"…Of course." Edelgard slowly nodded. "That… makes sense. I suppose you _are_ the incarnation of the Progenitor Goddess. However… was the Goddess capable of such a feat…?"

"Anyway…" I glanced back at Hanneman and said, "So you're saying that Crests… at least the ones passed down in blood, are intelligent?"

Hanneman nodded. "Yes. It was something I had presumed, but never thought too deeply of until this point." He shook his head and said, "Studies have already shown the domineering effect of Crests on those lacking them. And while the origins are… disdainful, there is data of attempts in artificially injecting additional Crests. All have failed, of course. At least… that would appear to be the case." He glanced at Edelgard.

I shook my head. "That's interesting and all, but-"

"Patience, Byleth." Hanneman shook his head. "Perhaps it may appear redundant to you, but this is vital to us mere mortals. You see… once again we return to the question of mana. What is mana?"

I frowned.

Hanneman stood up and began to pace. "Some would consider it the life force of the world. 'Breath' that living beings use to sustain their existence. Others would call it mere energy, fuel to be used in spells and magic. But whatever the case, it cannot be denied that mana… at least mana originating from lifeforms carry with it an 'imprint' of their origin. This can be seen in ancient heirlooms or in the works of master artisans, in how they have a certain 'air' about them."

"And…?"

Hanneman stopped and said, "Now, stop to think. Blood is among the most potent sources of mana in living beings. It is what we use to forge magic weapons, what is used to form binding contracts. Even in the scriptures of the church, there are tales abound describing the sanctity of blood and its divinity. And Crests, the supposed blessings of the goddess herself are passed down through blood. Thus, if mere mortals can leave an echo of themselves in their mana, what of the ancient beings of the past? Of the Goddess herself?"

I shook my head. "So you're telling me that Crests are mana… but that mana can carry a will." I paused and stopped to consider that.

I didn't feel anything when recreating the Crests… but that was because I skipped the process of making it in my blood. Instead of having the mana itself, I converted mana into that pattern and utilized the effect.

But if the pattern was in the blood… well, the blood was circulated through the heart. And while the heart wasn't the source of memories, it was about as important to life as one's brain. Meaning…

"…Inherited memories."

I remembered hearing about it once. A man without any artistic talent suddenly becoming a prodigy when he got a heart transplant. A woman who woke to frantic dreams after receiving the heart of a person who died from gunshot wounds.

That was without including mana. Then, if we put that into the picture…

Sothis let out a long sigh beside me. "The people of your world… I had been pondering on why you have these outrageous ideas. But truly, your people are daring. To have realized this much… to have learned that much…"

I glanced over at Edelgard.

From what I remembered, the Crest of Flames she had must have come from Nemesis. While I didn't know how they managed it, I imagined it had to do with directly injecting it into her heart. Inscribing it so that it would replicate and proliferate throughout her whole body. Yet, it wasn't a natural Crest.

The Crest of Flames carried by Nemesis was one formed from tearing out Sothis's heart and using her blood along with their knowledge of Dark Magic to graft it onto the Liberation King. One that no doubt carried the will of the Agarthans within it, the desire and ambition to exact revenge against the Nabateans.

In contrast, the one that I… that Byleth possessed came directly from having Sothis's Crest Stone embedded in my heart. A symbiotic relationship. As for the will of the Crest of Flames…

"Hm." Sothis nodded. "An interesting hypothesis. Whether that is true or not, I cannot tell. However, it does explain a lot."

It did. Then…

Hanneman nodded and said, "That is exactly the case. Memories stored not in the mind, but in the blood itself." He placed his hand on his chest and said, "We speak of keeping precious moments in our hearts… but what if this is literal? If our lives, or selves leave an echo in our hearts? An echo that carries on through our blood?"

Edelgard frowned. "Then, if we inherit those memories and betray them-"

Hanneman sighed and sat down. "Then those memories rebel." He adjusted his monocle and said, "It is a delicate balance. One I had never considered until Byleth mentioned the possibility the other day." He frowned. "We who possess Crests live in constant danger of them enveloping us. After all, we are mere mortals borrowing the strength of the divine. When that strength finds us lacking… well, it seeks to fix that gap however it can. Thus, the Demonic Beasts. Thus the phenomenon of Heroes's Relics enveloping those without a Crest."

I shook my head. "So… where does that leave us?"

In the corner of my eyes, I saw Sothis drift over to examine the diagram closer.

What are you doing?

"This is interesting," Sothis said. "This diagram… it is familiar- no, similar to something I know. Something I have recently seen. But where did I see it…?"

Since she was lost in thought, I decided to ignore Sothis for the time being.

"Ah." Hanneman paused. "Forgive me, Byleth. It appears I went on a bit of a tirade…" He shook his head and stared at Edelgard. "Regarding Miss Hresvelg… Tell me. You did not possess merely one Crest, did you?"

Edelgard nodded. "Indeed. While I… do not wish to go into the details, through certain events, I was given the Crest of Flames."

Hanneman nodded. "The same as Byleth. However, his is from being the incarnation of the Goddess. Then yours must be…?"

Edelgard shook her head. "While I was never directly told… I believe it came from the Liberation King himself."

"As I suspected." Hanneman sighed. "And also as I feared. Were that not the case…" He looked to me and said, "It appears the task before us will be difficult, Byleth. I had hoped that your Crests came from the same, if not a similar source. Were that the case, your blood would be capable of quelling Miss Hresvelg's own. However now… Hm. This will take some time." Hanneman glanced out the window and said, "While I have given my class the day off, I believe you have not yet met with your own, have you Byleth?"

I shook my head. "I didn't get the chance."

"So I thought. Then, would you mind simply leaving me a vial of your blood? Ah, and you as well, Miss Hresvelg. From this point onward, I will need to run some extensive tests that may take a bit of time… and I will perhaps need a few assistants as well…"

* * *

After drawing a bit of blood from me and Edelgard, Hanneman politely tossed us out of his office (lab) and sent us on our way.

My mind was still racing from all the knowledge that Hanneman sent my way.

Inherited memories from Crests… I guess that was pretty clear in the game. After all, it explained how Byleth and Sothis were interacting, as well as him remembering random things. It was essentially a heart transplant, only… magical.

And because it was magical, it could be tampered with. Edelgard's condition was a direct result of that. Since the Agarthans gave her the Crest, they could control it as well. Obviously not completely, otherwise Edelgard would have been unable to go against them in the game, but they could at least make it run wild.

"You appear troubled, my teacher."

Edelgard's voice sounded from beside me.

I blinked and looked up.

We were walking through the first floor of the main building. Towering arches, glowing torches, and polished floors… it was like Hogwarts, a fantastical grand hall.

Something I didn't have time to appreciate at the moment.

Edelgard was walking beside me.

It seemed that I'd subconsciously started making my way towards the courtyard while lost in thought.

I shook my head. "After everything that's happened, how could I not be troubled? No… how are you calm?" I stared at Edelgard and said, "A year- no, less than a year. How can you stay calm knowing you only have that long left before-"

I couldn't finish the sentence.

Edelgard was quiet for a bit and then she said, "I cannot say that I am completely calm, my teacher. Even I do not wish for my life to end so soon. There is much… there's a lot I want to do. A lot I want to experience. However… from the beginning, I've already resigned myself to an outcome like this." She sighed. "Since 'that' day, I was destined- no, I had resigned myself to never have a peaceful life… or a peaceful death." She turned to me and smiled. "At least, that was what should have happened. However… looking at you, my teacher, I grew weak."

"It's not weak to want to have a peaceful life, Delly."

"…Perhaps," she muttered. "Regardless… you asked how I am calm, my teacher? I am calm because of you. While I may not have much time to spend with you… I feel at peace. It is just…"

"Just?" I came to a stop in front of the doors leading to the courtyard and turned to look at Edelgard.

Edelgard came to a stop as well and stared at me. She bit her lips for a moment and then sighed. "It's nothing."

"Delly."

Edelgard shook her head. "Fine. Would you… keep this a secret from the others? It may be selfish of me but… I wish to enjoy these peaceful days along with everyone. If they know that I do not have long…"

"…That is incredibly selfish of you."

Sure, it would be peaceful and nostalgic. But when she was gone… there would be years of agony and regret marring those brilliant memories.

I knew from experience. _Me_ and not Byleth.

Edelgard lowered her gaze. "I understand. Still… please grant me this small request. It is… it will be all I ask of you, my teacher. That and to please stay by my side."

I let out a long sigh. "Fine. But only because you won't be dying."

"My teacher…" Edelgard shook her head. "While I do not doubt either you or Professor Hanneman, my death is… inevitable. The ones responsible for my situation are-"

"Damned worms that should remain buried for all of eternity."

Edelgard's eyes widened. "Do you-"

"Know who they are? Damned straight. And I'll be damned if they think everything's going to go their way."

Sothis told me already, didn't she? Cut my own path, not accept the one the world gave me.

Everything and everyone was saying that Edelgard was going to die. That everything was going to hell in a handbasket. That everything I was doing was pointless, inevitable.

This entire mess was my fault. So then it'd be up to me to resolve it.

Edelgard shook her head. "I… will not ask how you know of them, my teacher. However, if you do… you should know of their reach. Their knowledge. Tomas… the one who did this to me said that I would only live a husk of a life from now on. That not even the Goddess herself could save me. If they are the ones saying it-"

"A bluff. And even if it isn't, didn't I tell you?" I stared at Edelgard.

When I did, memories flickered through my mind.

Not just of her, but of everyone. _The paths I took, the times I failed, the battles I won._

"My teacher?"

"…It's Byleth, Delly. And I'll say it again in case you forgot. Even if Fate itself destined you to death, I would shatter it to ensure you survived."

_Ba-dump._

Again, the sound of my heart echoing in my ears.

A decision.

Edelgard laughed. "…Delusional. My teacher… no, Byleth. You are delusional. Still, I suppose that is why I chose this path." The last words were muttered, barely audible. She shook her head and said, "Regardless of what happens… those words alone are enough to warm my heart."

"They aren't empty words, Delly. It's a promise."

Edelgard smiled. "Is that so? Then… I will hold you to it, my… Byleth." She paused and said, "Would you lend me your hand? Mine are terribly cold."

_I_ held out my right hand.

Edelgard grasped it and smiled. "…It's warm. Like a gentle flame in the winter. Perhaps in another life, you and I-"

The doors slammed open.

_I_ pulled Edelgard close with my right hand. At the same time, I held out my left hand, mana coursing and ready to do whatever _I_ needed to in order to protect her.

"Dorothea! Do you not think this is rash?!"

"Shut it, Ferdie! We gotta find Edie and… see if she's alright?"

Dorothea stopped and stared at Edelgard, and then at me.

I slowly moved my left hand to scratch the back of my head. "Um… good morning?"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

So, final chapter in CF maddening mode is hard. I knew I should've trained more archers... ambush pegasus knight reinforcements should be illegal. That's mostly why this chapter's late. I wanted to see the ending with Jeritza and spent much longer than anticipated doing so...

Anyway, this chapter should be enough of the serious stuff for a bit. I think a chapter or two and we'll _finally_ be at the mock battle.

It's a bit exposition heavy... actually, it's pretty much exposition this chapter along with a bit of interaction... hm. Well, I hope it was enjoyable anyway. If not, feel free to rant at me about it.

Either way, thanks for reading and your input. As always, it's greatly appreciated.

Also, happy belated Veterans Day to anyone celebrating it today and a salute to any servicemen that happened to come across this.

P.S. Cookies to whoever guessed Edelgard's condition had to do with a particular scene in Azure Moon, as well as anyone guessing that the Agarthans were doing precision strikes in the background.


	36. Joy Surrounds

"Professor?" Dorothea said. "What are you- no, forget about that." She shook her head and then ran over to Edelgard. "Edie!"

Before I could react, Dorothea pulled Edelgard away from me and wrapped her in a hug. "I was so worried! Hubie walked back to the classroom all grim and mentioned something about you being attacked-" She paused and then said, "Wait. Why are you so cold? Is something wrong? Did you get hurt?"

Caspar walked into the hall and punched his right hand into his left palm. "Someone hurt Edelgard? Let me at him… I'll teach them not to mess with the Black Eagles."

Linhardt walked in after Caspar, yawning, and said, "I highly doubt you can do anything to someone that could harm Edelgard. In fact, you'll probably end up worse than she did-" He suddenly cut off his words when he got a closer look at Edelgard. The lazy expression he held vanished, fixed with hyper focus as he stared at the black lines running across Edelgard's skin. "Edelgard. Are you… alright?"

Edelgard nodded and said, "I am fine, Linhardt. Thank you for your concern." After that, she glanced at Dorothea and said, "And Dora… I'm not hurt. The Archbishop herself saw to my treatment."

Dorothea released Edelgard and took a step back, giving Edelgard a once over. "Then why are you so cold? And what happened to your skin?" When she noticed the black lines, Dorothea frowned and said, "That doesn't look 'not hurt' to me."

Edelgard smiled and said, "I assure you, it's nothing. Just an aftereffect of the healing."

"But your beautiful skin-"

Edelgard shrugged. "A small price to pay for being alive."

Ferdinand walked into the hall. When he got close enough to see the lines on Edelgard's skin, he scowled and said, "To think that I was fool enough to not detect an assassin in the monastery… unforgiveable."

"U-um, I don't think anyone could have known about it, Ferdie." Bernadetta walked over to Ferdinand and patted his shoulder. "You shouldn't beat yourself up over it."

Ferdinand sighed. "Thank you, Bernadetta. However…" He looked up at Edelgard and said, "Are you certain that you are well? If there is anything you require of me, know that I, Ferdinand von Aegir, am at your service."

Petra walked up and said, "Yes! That is being the case for myself, Edelgard! Show me the enemy and I will cut them down!"

Hubert sighed from the back of the group. "…All of you are too enthusiastic about this. Do you not think Lady Edelgard would like some space after recent events?"

Edelgard shook her head. "Honestly, everyone…" A smile appeared on her face, relaxed and radiant. "I am fine. Your concern is more than enough."

The effect of her expression was immediate.

Ferdinand's eyes widened and he froze in place.

Dorothea gasped and covered her mouth.

Similar reactions were on the other Black Eagles, but Caspar's was the most dramatic. On seeing Edelgard's smile, he jumped back and pointed at her. "Whoa! Edelgard's smiling!"

The princess frowned, pouting a bit, and said, "What? I smile!"

Petra shook her head. "I have not been seeing such a bright smile on your face since… ever! It is like the sun has cut through the clouds in the skies!"

Dorothea nodded. "That's a bit… dramatic, Petra. But I agree." She looked at Edelgard and said, "Edie… you haven't seemed this relaxed in years!"

Edelgard shook her head. "I don't know what you guys are talking about."

Ferdinand said, "I believe Dorothea is talking about your distance. In these past few years, you have been… aloof, shall we say. Aloof and cold. Noble, yes. Fitting for the future emperor of Adrestria. Yet it was… austere. Severe. It has been… concerning. And that smile… as Petra stated, it is as radiant as the sun itself."

Edelgard raised her hand to her mouth and said, "Is it truly that dramatic?"

"Absolutely!" Dorothea nodded. "It's like you're a married woman in love, Edie!" She paused and then glanced over to me. "…Wait. Professor?"

At once, I, who had been sitting quietly and observing the situation, became the center of attention. Seven intense gazes stared at me, as if trying to pry apart all of my secrets.

Caught off guard, I instinctively took a step back and held up my hands. "N-now, let's not get any ideas. There's nothing going on between me and Delly."

Dorothea gave me a sly smile and shifted her gaze between me and Edelgard. "I don't know, Professor. Delly sounds pretty affectionate to me… and you said it so naturally too."

Ferdinand placed a hand on his chin and nodded. "Yes… Dorothea has a point. And Edelgard did not protest the name this time…"

Edelgard flushed. "W-What are you two implying?!"

"Ooh! Prof and Edelgard, huh? Nice! The Empire's gonna rock everyone else with you two at the head!"

"Caspar!" Edelgard's flush deepened. "W-We haven't even gone on a single date yet! Where in the world are you gaining the idea that we are engaged?"

"Engaged?!" Bernadetta gasped and placed her hands on her chin. "Edelgard, engaged? Wedding dress, church bells… cake? No, a whirlwind romance, falling in love after she was saved by the professor…" She squealed and patted around her uniform. "Ooh, I've got to write this down!"

"B-Bernadetta! I order you to stop that at once!"

Petra frowned. "So is this meaning that Edelgard will become Edelgard Eisner?"

Everyone was quiet for a moment and then turned back to look at me.

I felt a sheen of sweat on my forehead.

Sothis. Do you think we could-

The goddess laughed and said, "This is the bed you made, Byleth. It is time that you slept in it… though I suppose you would prefer if it was with your dear princess?"

Dammit. You're enjoying this, aren't you?

"Was that not obvious?" Sothis grinned.

I shook my head and said, "That's enough of that. For the record, Petra, I don't think that's going to happen any time soon. Even if Edelgard and I were hypothetically marrying, I doubt that she would give up the name of the Emperor and adopt my family name."

"…I wouldn't mind that." Edelgard's soft voice echoed after my words.

I froze for a moment, and then pretended not to hear her. "Also, the reason I was with Edelgard was because we just came back from the meeting with the Archbishop with the other house leaders and professors. Nothing romantic or affectionate was occurring at all."

Ferdinand stared at me and said, "That is a very… diplomatic answer, Professor."

Dammit, Ferdinand! You're supposed to help me out here!

Hubert sighed and said, "My apologies, Lady Edelgard. I did not expect the others would be so… enthusiastic to ascertain your condition."

Edelgard shook her head and said, "It's fine, Hubert. I appreciate the effort. And all of you as well, thank you for your concern."

Dorothea sighed. "Fine. We'll set aside the girl talk for later… but don't think you're getting out of this, Edie." She glanced at me and said, "You too, Professor. I'm going to get all of the details from you two later. But anyway… what happened?"

I looked around. We were all in the main hall, crowding up the door. While it wouldn't be an issue right now, the explanation would take too long and it might be later.

"…First of all, let's head to the classroom. I'll explain more when we get there."

* * *

The Black Eagles classroom. After the abrupt reunion in the main hall, I ushered us all back to our proper meeting place and shut the door.

Petra and Hubert sat in the front row of desks. Hubert sat on the desk at the end of the row with Petra to his left. Behind the two were Bernadetta and Ferdinand.

In the row behind Bernadetta and Ferdinand, Dorothea sat in the middle with Linhardt to her left and Caspar to her right.

When everyone had taken their seats, I moved up to my podium with Edelgard. Sothis drifted after me, as always, and took her seat on the podium.

…It was a good thing that she could decide who saw her. If not, I'd probably have had to do a lot of explaining about why there was an impossibly beautiful young woman seated on my podium in questionable attire. Not only that, but it'd be incredibly distracting too, what with how she was leaning back with her legs crossed and idly flipping through a book.

Anyway, after everyone was settled, I started summarizing what went on in the meeting with Edelgard helping me to fill in any gaps.

"What?!" Caspar slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "The Emperor's-"

"Keep it down, Caspar!" Dorothea hushed him and glanced at the door. "We don't want to cause a panic!"

"Ah. Sorry." Caspar sat down. "Still…" He looked up at Edelgard and said, "Is my dad alright?"

She shook her head. "I do not know, Caspar. Even I only just learned of this information." Edelgard stared at Hubert, silently accusing him.

The gloomy young man shrugged. "There were more pressing matters at the time, Lady Edelgard." That said, he turned around to look at Caspar and said, "Regarding your father, Caspar, I believe you have nothing to be concerned about. Alongside Count Hevring, Count Bergliez plays a crucial role in the daily functioning of the Empire. Even considering the rather… unnatural demise of our Emperor, nothing untoward should befall them. If anything…" Hubert shifted his gaze to Ferdinand. "I would be more concerned about Duke Aegir."

Ferdinand frowned. "…Yes. My father is not one who would so readily relinquish the power he now holds. However, Lord Arundel is similarly unyielding and considering his demeanor in recent years…" He let out a deep sigh. "Regardless, what comes will come. If my father is deposed or… worse, then it will only have been a result of his shortcomings as a proper noble."

Bernadetta slowly raised her hand. "U-um. What about my father? Do you think… do you think they'll do anything about him?"

Bernadetta's father… Count Varley. I frowned when I remembered that terrible excuse for a human being.

It seemed my opinion wasn't isolated.

Ferdinand's mouth twitched when Bernadetta mentioned Count Varley, as if he wanted to frown but didn't want to give even that much attention to the man. "If I have read Lord Arundel correctly, I do believe that Count Varley will have a rather… unpleasant surprise in the near future."

A dark smile crossed Hubert's face. "For once we agree, Ferdinand. Considering how the Minster of Religion has reached his hands into the judiciary system… Lord Arundel will assuredly deal with him first to consolidate his power."

"Really!?" Bernadetta smiled. "That's great!"

Petra frowned. "I am misunderstanding. Why are you happy that misfortune will come to your father, Bernadetta? Is it not that the child should wish for good fortune of their parents?"

Hubert let out a dry laugh. "Let us just say that Count Varley is not a very… pleasant individual, Petra."

"Not a very pleasant individual? If you are saying this, Hubert… Ah. I am having understanding." She frowned and then turned towards Bernadetta. "You are always being welcomed in Brigid, Bernadetta."

Bernadetta smiled. "Thanks, Petra. I appreciate it."

Dorothea nodded and said, "That's right, Bernie. Don't think you have to put up with that nonsense! You've got us here to help you… Edie too! Right?" She turned to look at Edelgard.

"Of course." Edelgard nodded and said, "However… we have gone on quite a tangent, have we not?"

Dorothea paused and said, "That's right!" She pointed at Edelgard and said, "You never explained what happened to you, Edie!"

Caspar nodded. "Yeah! Who's the dastard who thought it was a good idea to hurt you, Edelgard?"

Edelgard smiled. "I appreciate the enthusiasm, Caspar… but the man is dead." She gestured towards herself and said, "As for what happened, Dorothea… it seemed that our dear librarian was not quite as innocent as his appearance would portray. While I returned from sending a message to my uncle last night, he ambushed me, leaving this as his 'parting gift' when I killed him."

Bernadetta gasped. "B-But… Tomas was such a nice old man! Why would he-"

Hubert shook his head. "Appearances can be misleading, Bernadetta. Why, take our Professor for example. One would not think that such a young man is both a capable professor and a deadly mercenary, would they?"

"…That's true," Bernadetta said. "But… Tomas helped me edit my stories. He even gave me suggestions when I got stuck!"

I decided to cut in and said, "Bad people can do good deeds, on occasion. Just as much as good people can do bad deeds."

Edelgard tensed for the briefest moment at my words. It didn't seem like anyone had noticed though.

Hubert raised an eyebrow and said, "Speaking from experience, Professor?"

"Obviously." I straightened and stared at everyone. "And remember. Even while I say that… it's just a simplification. The only difference between a 'good' person and a 'bad' person is their choice. What they decide to do." I shrugged and said, "Perhaps Tomas was mostly a good person. It just so happened that he decided to commit… or attempt to commit a heinous crime last night and paid the consequences for it."

Sothis scoffed. "You have quite the way with words, Byleth, to paint that monster as a saint."

Hey, they don't know that Tomas was Solon. The real Tomas probably was a really good guy. It's just… Solon did too good a job impersonating him.

Also, it's too early to explain everything. My students aren't strong or skilled enough to handle an attack by the Agarthans yet.

Bernadetta nodded. "I… guess I can see that. Still…"

"If it makes you feel better, he was probably genuine in helping you, Bernadetta." After all, even if the person acting out the role was fake, the actions themselves were real.

Bernadetta smiled. "Thanks, Professor. That does make me feel better. A bit."

Edelgard nodded. "It is a tragedy, either way."

"Wait," Dorothea said. "So what exactly did he do to you, Edie?" She frowned and said, "I don't remember reading about any magic that leaves those kinds of markings on your skin."

Hubert shook his head. "That is because you would not, Dorothea. What happened to Lady Edelgard was a dark spell that attempted to directly end her life by setting ablaze her blood and sending her Crest berserk."

Linhardt sat up, rapt with attention. "You're saying that dark magic can manipulate Crests, Hubert?"

"Heh." Hubert shook his head. "So you only pay attention when Crests are mentioned… a pity that you inherited your father's work ethic only to idle it away and not utilize it for the Empire."

Linhardt shook his head. "Enough with the insults." He looked at Edelgard and said, "Is he telling the truth, Edelgard?" He shifted his gaze to the lines on Edelgard's skin and said, "Is that a result of your Crest running rampant because of a dark magic spell?"

Edelgard nodded. "I believe that is the case. Professor Hanneman is doing more research about it, but-"

"Fascinating. I'll have to stop by and talk to him about it later."

"Argh, Lin! Could you stop thinking about Crests for one minute and focus on the more important things?" Dorothea shook her head and looked at Edelgard. "I don't know much about Crests but… it doesn't sound good for one to go berserk. They're essentially your blood, aren't they?" She gasped. "Does that mean that the black lines are your veins? Did they… burn up?"

Edelgard was quiet for a bit.

I coughed and said, "That's not too important, right? What's important is that Edelgard is fine. A bit weak and exhausted, but fine."

"And you're making her stand up there, Professor!?" Dorothea shook her head and said, "Edie! Sit down!"

"I am fine, Dorothea." She paused and said, "…Our professor is exaggerating it. I am a bit fatigued, yes, but only due to lack of sleep. I assure you, I am in perfect health."

It was both amazing and tragic that Edelgard could lie through her teeth like that with a straight face. Though I suppose her bright smile helped get rid of any doubts…

"Enough with the idle chatter," Hubert said. He looked to me and said, "Professor. What of our lessons?"

Ferdinand nodded and said, "Hubert has a point. With the situation being what it is… will our studies continue? And what of the mock battle next week?"

I shrugged. "We continue on as planned."

"Hmph." Hubert shook his head. "So we will act as a bird with their head in the ground?"

"…That's one way to put it. But mostly it's to throw whoever's behind this off. After all, if they see us continue on without a problem, they'll either ignore us for being naïve or try to take advantage of that." I smiled. "That's when we act."

I was itching for that to happen. We'll see how that Flame Emperor feels when I drop a lightning bolt on his head- no, when I start utilizing chemical warfare.

Sothis flipped a page in her book and said, "While I can understand your vindictiveness, do recall that your foes are not imbeciles. Whatever you create will likely be used against you if your enemies survive and have the time to analyze it. Or have you already forgotten our last skirmish?"

I froze.

…Right. They developed countermeasures for Sothis without even being certain that she existed. And now that they _did_ know she was here, along with being aware of Divine Pulse…

Well, there's more than one way to time travel, right?

Sothis closed her book and turned to look at me. "…You would not dare."

…Fine. Not yet. But if things go too far south…

Sothis sighed. "Very well. In that case, at least consult me before attempting your experiments. With our Divine Pulse being observed by the other side, I will be of the most use in your experiments. After all, while you have one life, I am not so bound to this mortal coil."

Thanks for volunteering. I'll inform you of your details later tonight.

Sothis froze and then shook her head. "I suppose I walked into that one…"

"…Professor?" Edelgard turned to look at me.

"Ah." I shook my head. "My bad. Lost in thought." It seemed that I'd taken up too much time talking to Sothis. "You were saying?"

Dorothea spoke up and said, "I was asking what you had planned for us today, Professor. I don't think we're going to be sparring or training again, right?"

Caspar jumped up and said, "Don't listen to her, Prof! I'm all ready to train! Can't let those dastards get what they want… When they attack next time, I'll show them!"

I nodded. "Duly noted… but not today, Caspar." I glanced at Edelgard and said, "On account of recent events… I think that we should just relax today."

Edelgard frowned. "Professor. I am more than capable of-"

"That's a great idea!" Dorothea stood up and said, "After all of that stress, it'd be great to wind down for a while."

"Ooh, Prof!" Caspar looked at me and said, "Think you're up for another grilling session?"

Linhardt sighed and stood up as well. "And who's going to foot the cost for that, Caspar? I doubt that our professor's gotten the latest advance on his salary yet."

Caspar froze and scratched the back of his head. "Right, right. Um… Hey, Linhardt-"

Linhardt shook his head and said, "You still owe me lunch, Caspar."

"That's why I'm asking! You have money, right? Think we can make a trip to the village and grab some meat? Heck, I'll carry you if you don't want to walk."

"…Tempting, but…" Linhardt looked at me and said, "What do you think, Professor?"

Ferdinand stood up as well and said, "Worry not, Professor. I will arrange the festivities this time."

Hubert shook his head and said, "And risk the affair falling less than perfect due to your 'noble touch'? I think not." He got out of his seat and said, "Leave this matter to me, Professor. For Lady Edelgard's sake, I will ensure it is arranged to utmost perfection."

Petra got up after Hubert and said, "Then I will be finding more food. I am remembering that the forests are good hunting grounds…"

"Ooh!" Bernadetta jumped out of her chair and said, "I'll go bake the sweets!"

Edelgard's eyes flitted across the classroom, a bemused smile on her face as she saw the enthusiasm from everyone. "My friends, this is unnecessary…"

"Nonsense, Edie!" Dorothea shook her head and said, "This is your get well party, so you just sit back and relax. We'll take care of everything."

I coughed. "I'm glad you're all excited but I had something else in mind…"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

It seems like even my ISP is out to prevent me from uploading these days. My internet kept cutting out until just a few hours ago and only just stabilized... at least I hope so. We'll see if this gets uploaded properly...

Anyway, I lied about the mock battle. . When I want to move the plot forward, everyone decides to act up... so I guess we'll just keep on going as they see fit instead. We'll get there eventually, I guess...

How were the interactions this chapter? I'm always a bit uncertain when it comes to juggling a bunch of characters on screen at once. I think I've managed to get a feel for it, but tell me how that worked out, if you would.

Regardless, I hope this was an entertaining chapter.

Thanks as always for reading and your input. I'm glad that people are enjoying the story, even with my haphazard skills. Still, I'm hoping that it steadily improves as we go along.

See you next time.


	37. Comfort Abounds

I glanced up at the sky. While it was still overcast, filled with gray clouds, it didn't look like rain would break out any time soon. That was good, considering that it'd put a damper on my latest grilling plans.

As Linhardt pointed out, I was still low on supplies for another full-on barbecue. Part of it was because I was actually low on gold, but it was mostly because I hadn't had the chance to synthesize any meat.

To solve that issue, I suggested that we have a fish grilling session. I'd bring the spices, cooking utensils, and supplies while everyone else could relax and fish.

Obviously, it was well received… which led to the current situation.

I set down the wooden crate and electric grill I was carrying in my arms. I had decided to set up shop in the area below the alcove overlooking the pond. It was pretty spacious and, considering that there was stone pavement there and no sign of grass or other flammables, the safest place to grill.

After placing down my load, I took the electric grill off the crate and propped it up. When I was certain that it wouldn't be tipping over any time soon and properly secured, I turned a dial and started preheating my electric grill.

Well, I called the grill 'electric', but it was really a magitech amalgamation that used mana to generate a current and heat up the grates. The details weren't too important, and I tried not to think too much about how I made it in case it broke down.

Shortly after that, Caspar and Ferdinand walked over and set down a wooden desk beside me.

Caspar brushed his sleeve along his forehead and said, "That's the last of them, Prof!"

Ferdinand nodded and said, "Indeed. This should be enough space to hold everything, should it not?"

I glanced over.

Because there wasn't any lawn near the pond for us to lay out blankets, I'd decided to commandeer the desks in our classroom. As a result, the empty paved area near the pond now had a long line of wooden desks, with the tiny wooden benches included.

"Thanks guys." I nodded and said, "You saved me a lot of hassle."

Ferdinand shook his head and said, "It is the least I could do… Ah, unless you wish for me to aid you in cooking, Professor?" He smiled and patted his chest. "Let me assure you, I, Ferdinand von Aegir, am a certified-"

"Yeah, yeah, Ferdie." Caspar cut in and said, "When do we eat? I'm starved!"

Ferdinand's face froze and his brow started to twitch.

I shook my head and said, "Well, that requires you guys to fish something up, doesn't it?"

I turned around to look at the pond.

Dorothea had already started, dragging Edelgard along with her to stand at the wooden pier. There, Dorothea picked up a bamboo pole and demonstrated how to bait it with an earthworm.

Edelgard watched her with morbid fascination, grimacing when Dorothea pierced the hook through a particularly fat worm.

I was a bit too far away to hear what they were saying, but from the few words I caught, it seemed like Edelgard was starting to regret agreeing to come out.

"Got it, Prof!" Caspar nodded. "I'll be back in a jiffy with a bunch of fish!" After that, he ran off towards the pond.

Ferdinand sighed. "Were I to share just an iota of Caspar's enthusiasm…"

I checked the grill. It seemed like it'd take a bit to heat up, so I looked at Ferdinand and said, "Not fond of fishing?"

"It is not that, Professor." Ferdinand sat down on a wooden bench and said, "It is simply… I wish that I could ignore the events that have occurred and enjoy the present, but…"

"Mm, I see."

Ferdinand was the thoughtful type, after all. And fishing was nothing if not thought-provoking considering how long you stood there waiting for a bite.

The point of this was to relax though, so I couldn't have him just stand there and stew… Hm.

"Bernadetta's working on some cookies back in my room. Care to help her?"

"Cookies? I suppose that does sound more enjoyable than standing around… and it has been quite some time since I spent some time with Bernadetta." Ferdinand nodded. "Very well. I will do ask you say, Professor." He stood up and started walking away.

"Wait."

Ferdinand stopped. "Yes?"

"Make sure Bernadetta doesn't use too much sugar. I know I told her and the first batch is probably a lost cause, but it'd be good to have some that the rest of us can enjoy, you know?"

Ferdinand smiled. "I will try, Professor. However, Bernadetta and her sweets…"

"If all else fails, I give you full permission to bait her with the promise of all the sugary treats she can eat for the next week, courtesy of myself."

Ferdinand's smile widened. "Trying to win her over through her sweet tooth, I see… but understood. Ah, but would you mind if I used your supplies to bake some other pastries as well? There are a few recipes that I have been meaning to test out."

"…You bake?"

Ferdinand laughed. "Like yourself, Professor, Ferdinand von Aegir is a man of many talents." With that, he left and, hopefully, would come back with some cookies that weren't teeth-rotting.

I glanced back at the grill. The grates were glowing red hot, meaning that it was still heating up. That also meant it would probably be a while…

I decided to leave it be for now and picked up the wooden crate I'd placed at my feet earlier. Now that there were tables around for me to work with, I could set things up.

I placed the wooden crate on the nearest desktop and started pulling things out to arrange them.

Some glass containers with salt, black pepper, dill, oil… essential spices and supplies that'd be useful in prepping the fish to grill. I took those out and lined them up.

After that, there was a long, foldable wooden cutting board and a small knife. Normally inadequate, but more than enough with some magical shenanigans to filet and process the fish. I placed those next to the fish prep ingredients.

Gloves, tongs, apron… those I placed near my grill.

Finally, some bowls, plates, napkins, and silverware. It'd probably be a while before we actually ate anything, but I took them out anyway and stacked them on a desk further down. Afterwards, I flipped the crate upside down and placed it at my feet to use as a makeshift chair.

"Enjoying your latest 'plan', Byleth?" Sothis called out to me and appeared with a flash of golden light, sitting on the edge of the wooden desk. Beneath her right arm, she carried that blank book that she was reading earlier.

Which… was a bit more distracting than it should have been considering her change in appearance.

From Sothis's impish smile, it seemed that she realized exactly how distracting it was.

"Should I warn the princess about your wandering eyes," She said. "Or should I be flattered that you are finally treating me like the divine beauty I am?"

You should stop acting like a flirty teen and be more proper. You know, like a supposed all-powerful goddess is supposed to be?

Sothis shrugged and swung her legs. "I have to gather amusement somehow. Besides, it is rare for you to be flustered. I fully intend to enjoy this while it lasts."

Then you'd better look forward to what you've volunteered to do later tonight.

"Is that a proposition I hear, Byleth?"

"Goddammit. Knew I should've recreated Occlumency…" I grumbled and threw my apron on over my shoulders.

Sothis grinned.

…That was completely unfair. Being that beautiful should be illegal. In fact, being that beautiful was probably half the reason Rhea managed to put Fodlan under her thumb. Clearly, it ran in the family…

"Indeed." Sothis nodded and said, "Have you forgotten your own appearance? Delicate yet severe, charming yet heroic. There is a reason that the prince becomes so flustered when speaking with you and that the princess became so infatuated."

"Yeah, yeah…" I tied my apron and double checked my supplies. Everything was ready now, and I just had to wait for the first fish to come my way.

"A telling situation, all things considered." Sothis nodded and said, "Not many are so lucky as to be in a position like yours."

Is that why I've had such a run of bad luck in having everything hit the fan?

"No. That blame falls solely upon your own shoulders."

Right, right… so, what are you doing here again? Or are you just having fun teasing me?

Sothis's smile faded and she stared at me before saying, "In truth… I had wished to distract you. Since learning of Edelgard's fate, your heart has been in turmoil. While slight, I had hoped to do something to calm you." She frowned. "…After all, through our time together, I have not been able to do much."

That's not true. First of all, you're the reason I'm still alive. Divine Pulse and all, remember? Second of all… without you, I'm sure I'd have gone off the rails entirely.

Sothis was my reality check. If she wasn't here- no, even while she was here I still sometimes forgot that this wasn't a game. Left to my own devices, I was sure I'd be trying to create some obscenely powerful magical relic or ability and end up wrecking all of Fodlan or wiping everyone out.

Point in case being her reminder about the Agarthans being able to replicate chemical warfare.

While that wasn't certain, it was likely. And something I didn't think about and probably wouldn't have thought about until it was too late.

"…Is that what you truly believe, Byleth?" Sothis shook her head. "Such support… it is something that you could gain from your father or one of your students, is it not?" She sighed. "It is as you said. For a supposed goddess… I am quite powerless."

Hey! I'm supposed to be the downer here.

Sothis didn't respond.

I frowned.

…Sothis?

She sighed. "I apologize, Byleth. No, nameless spirit. It seems that it is something in the air… for some reason I find myself strangely contemplative." Sothis shook her head and said, "I am the Goddess that Fodlan worships… and yet at the same time, I am not. I control the flow of time… yet I am bound by the threads of Fate. I know all… and yet in this moment, I barely know my own identity."

Well, for what it's worth, you'll always be Sothis to me. Snarky, sometimes smothering and obnoxious, but always Sothis.

Sothis huffed. "With that attitude, it is a wonder how your students put up with you."

They kind of have to. Besides, better that than like how Hanneman and Manuela are, right?

Sothis shook her head. "I suppose… Ah. That reminds me."

What, that I need to get better at being a professor? Trust me, I'm well aware.

"Not that, you dolt." Sothis pulled out her book and floated over. "I had been pondering about why the diagram Hanneman showed of the Demonic Beast anatomy and take over were so familiar." She opened it up and pointed to the picture. "See here?"

I glanced at the diagram. Like before, it showed a Demonic Beast with a human figure in the center, as well as tendrils reaching out to link the two. Parasitic appendages regarding the host, but essentially veins and arteries for the beast.

Sothis nodded. "You see it now?"

Veins, arteries. The Crest Stone overwhelming the host and spreading out tendrils to form the veins of the Demonic Beast to channel the power of the Crest…

Thinking about what Hanneman mentioned earlier on how a being's mana carried their will… that meant that the Crest Stone was a heart and mana was their lifeblood? But I knew that… _we_ knew that already, didn't we?

"No! Not that. Think about yourself and what you created! Something that draws in mana from the surroundings and convert it to another form… is that not what is occurring here?"

I froze.

That… was right, wasn't it?

Converting my nerves to handle mana, using them as a makeshift Crest. I didn't think too much about it, but, I was doing the same thing, wasn't I? And then, when I let the mana course over to the rest of my nerves…

"You surpassed your own limits. Granted, your body could not handle that amount of pure mana, but… the principle is the same, is it not?"

A core, channeling and converting mana in accordance to the desired 'form'. A channel to transport and cycle the mana to supply power. Then that means that the Crest I had on my shoulder now, the symbol for Earth. Was that… my own?

I frowned and thought about it.

Crests were supposed to be power manifested. Strength, crystallized. By lore, it was something that only dragons should be capable of doing. The representation of their innate talents and abilities, born from them being close to nature and mana. A physical force of nature.

Humans couldn't create Crests. While they had mana, control over it wasn't inherent to them. That could be seen in the types of magic used. Reason, Faith… knowledge and belief was used to shore up their lacking. Dragons didn't need that though. They simply willed it, and it happened.

But I was different. While I wasn't sure if it was because of a bleed over effect from Sothis or actually because I came from a world without mana, I could freely manipulate it as if it was a part of my body. Something that I'd been doing on a daily basis since I'd arrived.

More than that though, I'd converted my left arm to something that would allow me to better channel mana… and Crest Stones were similar, weren't they? A fuel reactor to the Heroes Relics, the 'heart', literal or not, of Rhea's siblings.

Then… does that mean that I've become equal to a dragon?

Sothis shook her head. "Not exactly. You created something similar, but it is also different- no, divergent. If you properly develop this… if _we_ properly develop this…"

Then we can do it.

I glanced at my left shoulder. It was an unknown power, an unknown Crest. Something that allowed me to replicate other Crests but not be subject to the will of their original owner… something that allowed me to control mana at will.

It was still unstable. I never had the time to sit down and refine it. But if- when we did…

"Perhaps you can save that princess of yours."

I nodded.

Edelgard's condition was a result of the Crest of Flames going berserk. If 'my' Crest… or whatever it was, allowed me control over mana itself, and over other Crests as it seemed to have, then perhaps-

"Copper for your thoughts, Professor?"

I flinched and looked up.

Hubert stood a few feet away from me, an amused smirk on his face. "You seem quite intent for merely preparing the grill."

"Bert. Didn't feel like fishing with the others?"

Hubert walked over and sat down at the wooden desk, causing Sothis to have to move to the side unless she wanted to be squished, and placing his arms along its edge. "Their enthusiasm is sufficient. Furthermore, Lady Edelgard is enjoying herself. That is enough for myself."

"…So you just decided to come over and bug me instead? Charmed."

Hubert lazily waved his hand and said, "You flatter yourself, Professor. I simply deemed myself to be of more use here than idling about in front of a body of water."

Sothis glared at Hubert. "Hmph. How rude!"

Well, that's just how he is.

Sothis shook her head and then looked at me. "You have no need of me here, correct?"

…I don't think so? There shouldn't be anything dangerous happening today, and I didn't plan on heading out. Even if there was, you can pop back here in a jiffy, right?

Sothis nodded. "That is so. Then…" She gestured towards her book. "I will continue research on this as well as your Crest and leave you and your students to your own devices." She paused and then narrowed her eyes and pointed at me. "Do _not_ do anything reckless!"

I promise.

"…Very well. Then, enjoy yourself. But do be cautious." With those words said, Sothis vanished in a flash of gold light.

Hubert shook his head. "Lost in thoughts again, Professor?"

"Sorry about that."

Hubert sighed. "No. I suppose it is understandable. Yesterday and today have been… tumultuous to say the least."

I checked the grill again. The wires that heated it up had stopped glowing red, so it looked like it reached the optimal temperature. Since it had, I turned the dial to keep the heat steady and turned towards Hubert. "Tell me about it… I'm just glad I could distract everybody with this. Well, mostly everyone. But then again, someone like you wouldn't appreciate that, would you Bert?"

He cracked a smile. "You know me well, Professor. I do feel… uneasy idling like this." He sighed. "However, Lady Edelgard is happy, so that is all that matters."

I turned around to look at Edelgard.

It seemed that she was enjoying herself. And, from the bucket beside her, she had managed to catch a few fish as well.

I smiled and said, "That is true."

She was happy. Compared to the Edelgard in the game that was guarded and resolved to see her path through to the end, I preferred this Edelgard. Cute, adorable, and a bit awkward… like she should be.

"Odd."

"Hm?" I turned around to look at Hubert.

He stared at me for a moment and said, "You truly care for her. Lady Edelgard, that is."

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

Hubert shook his head. "The question is why you would, not why you would not. We have been your students for not yet half a week. And yet… you trust us. Care for us. Even one such as myself."

I nodded. "Of course. You guys are my students. And, even if you're a bit of a dick, Bert, you're not untrustworthy. In fact, I think out of everyone here, you're the one I trust the most. After all, you're the main reason why Delly is still alive, aren't you?"

He hadn't explicitly said it and Edelgard still hadn't said exactly what happened, but I could infer enough about it. And Hubert had mentioned that he knew it was dark magic that caused the Crest of Flames to go rampant. Considering that Edelgard was still here and not a raging monster, it didn't take a genius to put two and two together.

"Heh. As perceptive as always," Hubert said. "While I still do not care for the childish names you give us… especially the one you have given to Lady Edelgard… I suppose it is a sign of your sincerity."

I nodded. "While I don't care for your backhanded compliments, I appreciate them nonetheless."

"…You are an odd one, Professor. An enigma without a clear background, adeptly dodging around any probes to your identity… yet also a man willing to throw everything away for those he met mere days ago."

I shook my head and sat down on my wooden crate. "You're rating me too highly. I'm not that self-sacrificing."

"That is a lie."

I twitched.

Hubert smiled. "Do not take me for a fool, Professor. While you are adept at omitting the truth and deflecting, your ability to tell falsehoods are still far lacking." He paused and then placed his hand on his chin. "…Which is strange. The first lie I've caught from you is one about your willingness to sacrifice yourself for our sake…" He looked up and said, "Do you have a death wish?"

"Of course not!"

"Hm. Not a lie. Then…"

I shook my head. "Don't think too much about it. If you want an excuse, just take it as I've grown used to you guys, alright?"

"…Hm. Again, not a lie. Though odd, considering your reputation… unless the rumors of you being an Ashen Demon are a lie? …No, the way you carry yourself in combat tells otherwise…" Hubert started muttering and then shook his head. "Odd. Very odd. And also… oddly reliable. Perhaps that is why Lady Edelgard chose you."

"Hm?"

Hubert shook his head and said, "You should appreciate Lady Edelgard, Professor. Having her complete trust is a rarity- no, an impossibility. No less than a miracle." He looked at me and said, "There is much that she gave up to stand beside you. To trust in you."

"…I'm aware."

"Are you, truly?" Hubert stood up. "For over a decade, Lady Edelgard has held an ambition- no, a 'destiny'. A path that she was willing to carve out and see through at any cost. Yet, mere days after meeting you, she was willing to give it up. Long held agreements, dangerous allies… she turned her back upon them all and placed her hopes in you. And you alone." He stepped towards me and said, "Do you understand the severity of that, Professor- no, Byleth Eisner? While I do not doubt your sincerity… can you comprehend the depth of her sacrifice?"

I didn't immediately respond. Instead, I thought about it.

Edelgard… that was right. While I didn't know for a fact if she was yet another time traveler, she trusted me. Deeply and almost devoutly. Enough that I wondered if I could uphold that trust sometimes.

From playing the game, I knew what Hubert was talking about.

PTSD, survivor's guilt, maybe Stockholm syndrome… there were a lot of things wrong with her. Considering what she'd gone through, unspeakable experiments that were apparently bad enough for her to block out entire years of memories and forget Dimitri, her first crush, for her to give up that path…

She said it herself, didn't she? A foolish decision, like a moth drawn to the flames.

Whether it would be worth it or not would depend on my own actions. My own capabilities.

It wasn't just trust or belief. After all, Edelgard still didn't think I could save her, even knowing I was essentially Sothis's incarnation. Still, she had faith in me. She had entrusted her fate to my hands, her life to my actions.

Knowing that…

"…I do."

Hubert stared at me and then said, "…Again. Odd. You do. You truly do comprehend Lady Edelgard's sacrifice." He shook his head. "Professor. You are an enigma."

I smiled. "It wouldn't be fun if I wasn't, right?"

"Hmph. Well… that satisfies my curiosity."

I blinked. "Wait, weren't you here to be useful? You were pretty decent at grilling last time, so I could use your help when things ramp up in a bit."

Hubert smirked. "Heh. It appears that your perception needs some training as well. Did you truly believe I would be here to help you?"

"…You bastard."

"I am very much a rightful son of Count Vestra, Professor. But I acknowledge your sentiment." Hubert waved and started walking off. "To that, I say 'good luck'. After all, it would not be fitting for Lady Edelgard to only have a paltry amount of fish to celebrate her recovery."

At that time, Linhardt and Caspar walked over, carrying a bucket full of carp and trout.

Caspar placed the bucket down in front of me and said, "Told you, Prof! Fish for days!"

Not long after that, a female voice called out from above me. "Professor!"

I looked up to see Petra waving, a stuffed burlap sack slung over her right shoulder. "I am returning with a great bounty of game!"

I sighed.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Finally beat CF on maddening. Gotta say, still hate Rhea. By god is she a pain to fight. All the more reason to not, I suppose...

A bit of character development this chapter. Sothis is starting to doubt herself and Hubert is starting to change his opinion on our dear protagonist. Also a bit of revelation on the nature of the strange creation 'Byleth' has created.

Mm... besides that, not sure what to say. Probably more slice of life/character focused stuff in the upcoming chapters. Potential Claude and Golden Deer party crashing inbound, but we'll see. I'm never too certain how things will go in these chapters until they're finished.

Anyway, thanks for reading, as always, and I hope the chapter was enjoyable. Any input is welcome, but thanks most of all for sticking with me. After all, if you've kept up with this maddening release rate, all the props to you.

Until next time!


	38. Carried Away

**Author's Note:**

FFN did the thing again. Just a reminder to check to make sure you didn't miss any of the previous chapters before reading this one.

* * *

I flipped a trout filet and placed it on the platter I'd setup on the desk with all the other fish I'd grilled.

About an hour had passed since I'd been saddled with cleaning and cooking the fish and meat my students brought back. A few before noon.

Not that I minded spending so much time cooking, but it was a bit monotonous.

I couldn't just leave the fish standing by themselves either, since it'd burn without constant attention. A caveat of grilling them instead of preparing them some other way.

Still, with most of it done, I scrubbed down the grates with an iron brush and took a look around to check on how everyone was doing.

Caspar had immediately run back to grab more fish after dumping his last round on me. However, it seemed like he had a bit of a mishap in between that time, since he was standing off to the side of the pond wringing out his clothes.

Linhardt stood beside him, casting a small wind spell to help Caspar dry off. The sleepy student looked bored out of his mind, but at the least dutifully helped his friend out to not catch a cold.

After Petra dropped off her bounty from hunting, a sack full of cleaned and butchered venison wrapped in wax paper, she had walked over to join Dorothea and Edelgard in fishing.

At the moment, Petra stood at the pier with a fishing rod, waiting patiently and calmly for a bite. Maybe since she was used to hunting and outdoor activities, it seemed perfectly natural. Like a painting of a native princess that one might see in a museum somewhere.

Beside her, Edelgard and Dorothea were standing with rods in the water as well.

From the smile on her face, Dorothea was probably humming to herself, waiting for a bite.

In contrast, Edelgard was holding onto her rod with a white-knuckled grip. Her eyes kept glancing between Dorothea's rod and her own.

Suddenly, Edelgard's rod bent.

Her eyes widened and she pulled up on her rod.

Dorothea gasped and waved for her to stop.

Edelgard, whether due to nerves or determination, used too much force in pulling her catch up, sending it launching up through the air. Water sprayed and light glistened off the fish's scales.

In any other case, it would be a picture perfect catch. The sort that you would see in fishing competitions with the fish almost hovering in the air for a moment.

While I wasn't too good at identifying fish myself, from Byleth's memories, I could tell that it was an Airmid Pike. Long and speckled, almost snake-like. Pretty big too, at least six feet in length.

Because of that, I also knew what would happen next.

I was far enough away from the pier to where I couldn't hear their conversation. But the next parts were loud enough that I could hear even from where I was standing by the alcove.

"What in the world is that, Dora?!"

"E-Edie, don't pull it any-"

Gravity took over and the pike fell from the air. Unfortunately, since Edelgard had pulled it in so violently, that meant it was falling rapidly towards the two girls.

Edelgard screamed and tossed her fishing rod into the pond, maybe hoping that it would cause the fish to fall back towards the water.

It didn't.

Instead of sending the pike back into the pond, the line on the fishing rod snapped. There was a splash as the rod fell into the water, but as for the pike…

"Eek!" Edelgard screamed. "Get it off, get it off, get it off!"

"E-Edie! Calm down! If you stop moving-!"

The fish had bowled over Dorothea and Edelgard, knocking them both against the pier. Dorothea had the worst of it, the pike having flipped in the air and landing towards her head first, meaning she had to be careful of its sharp teeth.

At least, that would have been the case. Edelgard's frantic toss had caused the line to wrap around the pike's head, sealing its mouth.

As for Edelgard herself, she was completely pinned down beneath the bottom half of the pike and its lower body was writhing on her torso. While the princess scrambled to shove it off, it seemed like the pike was too slippery for her to get a good grip and her efforts only made it more vigorous in moving around.

Edelgard screamed again and said, "DORA! DO SOMETHING!"

"I'm trying!" Dorothea sat up and tried to get out from under the pike. "But if you keep moving- Oof!"

The pike suddenly jerked and headbutted Dorothea, sending her falling back against the pier.

I resisted the urge to facepalm.

Of course. Of _course_ something like this would happen.

I sighed and started to untie my apron to rescue my wayward students. But before I could, Petra stepped in.

While I couldn't hear her talk, mostly because she wasn't screaming her head off like Edelgard and Dorothea, I could see the amusement in her eyes as she walked over.

The Brigid Princess grabbed the pike's tail and then, with a deep breath, tossed it through the air… towards me?!

I scrambled and grabbed my knife and the empty bucket Caspar left.

"Professor!" Petra cupped her hands over her mouth and said, "You must be thinking fast!"

Dammit. Even when I brought my students to have a break, I didn't get one myself…

I focused. The Airmid Pike was big. At least six feet long. It was pretty fat too. If I tried to catch that, I'd be pinned down and probably hurt. But if I _didn't_ catch that, it'd definitely splatter against the ground.

The pike wriggled in the air, like a fat splotchy worm. Did it know its incoming fate, or was it still stressed out over the frantic actions and screaming of the two girls? The fish's eyes were bulging and its mouth was straining to open.

The distance was closing.

Petra had launched the pike at a perfect forty-five degree angle, sending it flying high and fast.

Doing some quick estimates, it would end up landing just a few steps away from where the grill was, towards the side of the pond. In short, a few steps behind where I would be standing to grill.

However, that would also mean that, if it crashed, it would send fish guts flying all over the place, ruining all the meat and fish I'd been grilling the past hour.

I couldn't have that.

A knife was in my left hand, the bucket was in my right…

The pike was falling towards me, about twenty feet in the air and ten feet away.

…This would be a bit excessive, but I was _not_ about to have over ten pounds of grilled meat and fish ruined by a slimy pike.

I crouched against the ground and gathered mana around my feet.

One second.

I raised my left hand, along with the knife, and pointed it at the falling pike.

Two seconds.

I tightened my grip on the bucket in my right hand and then started to convert the mana around my feet into wind.

Three seconds.

I jumped.

In my left arm, I activated the Crest of Indech and the Crest of Cichol.

My reflexes sharpened and the pike defied gravity, trapped in the air by my mana. But that was temporary. The Crest of Cichol only paused the momentum and didn't get rid of it entirely.

One shot. If I messed up, this would end not only with me falling, but with me having fish guts all over me.

I narrowed my eyes and scanned the fish.

Belly, backbone, ribs. Y-bones.

I identified my targets and then moved.

Once, twice… five times my left arm lashed out. Once to split open the belly, twice on the right side of the pike to filet the meat along its ribs and then cut out the y-bones, twice on the left side to do the same thing.

The pike remained suspended in mid-air, slowly coming apart as its meat separated from its bones.

As for me, I'd flown above it, my momentum carrying me past the pike.

But I wasn't finished. At this rate, everything would fall down in one big mess. The original outcome wasn't changed.

Thus…

I wrapped mana around my feet again and made another burst of wind to change my trajectory. This time, I aimed towards the ground.

Three slashes. I'd need to cut the fish into three equal parts in order to fit in my bucket. At the same time, I had to account for the organs and be careful not to rupture them.

My eyes narrowed, and then I launched myself again.

Three cuts, done with utmost precision. The moment that was done, I tossed my knife in the bucket and reached out with my left arm.

Organs and bones first, then meat gently placed on top. My left arm moved in a blur, gathering all the materials from the fish and properly arranging it in the bucket.

The ground rapidly approached. At my current speed, I'd be ramming head first into the pavement. Even if I used another blast of wind, the sheer force from rapidly changing my momentum with the position I had would at least crack a few bones.

But I had a workaround for that. Another tool gained through a misunderstanding the other day.

I traced out the Crest of Goneril.

Pavement expanded in my field of vision. Another few moments and the headache I'd had from today's revelations would be nothing compared to what happened next.

"Now." Muttering that word to myself both to confirm the timing and to actually activate it, the Crest of Goneril flared. Instead of the ground or something else, I used it on myself, something that was only possible due to my experience with using Crests and their mana signatures.

At once, my momentum vanished, leaving me suspended a foot above the ground.

I deactivated the Crest of Goneril and then held out my left hand to catch myself. At the same time, I dropped the bucket, bottom down first, and then flipped through the air, landing on my feet.

The world righted itself and returned to the normal pace as the Crest of Indech and my adrenaline started to wear off.

I shook my head and flexed my left arm a bit, trying to get rid of the stinging from using the Crests.

In the distance, I heard Petra call out.

"That was impressing, Professor! I will be sure to send you another soon!"

I started to turn around to tell her not to, but before I could I heard a slow clap from above me.

"Wow, Boss. I'm impressed."

I looked up.

Claude stood at the top of the alcove, his trademark smile on his face. "You sure you aren't a master chef rather than an ace mercenary?"

"Claude?" I frowned. "Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

"Who says I'm not?" Claude shrugged and started walking down the stairs to the fishing area. Behind him were the other Golden Deer. Hilda and Leonie, Raphael and Ignatz, Lysithea and Marianne… and Lorenz taking up the rear helping Manuela.

My fellow professor caught my eye and then shook her head and turned towards Claude. "Honestly, can't you kids be a little slower? Making a frail injured lady like myself walk all the way over here… how rude. Ah, not including you of course, Lorenz."

The purple-haired noble smiled and said, "No offense taken, Professor Manuela. It is only natural for a noble like myself to aid you."

"Right. And this has nothing to do with your-"

Lorenz flinched and said, "You had vowed that matter to secrecy, Professor!"

"My bad." Manuela shook her head and waved her left hand. "Guess I'm still groggy from_ all the walking._" She glared at Claude and said, "Tell me again why this is a good idea?"

I turned to look at Claude as well and nodded. "Yes… do tell why you brought everyone here, Claude."

He shrugged. "I overheard you guys talking about another grilling session and fishing. Now, seeing as you didn't invite us to the last one, I figured we'd invite ourselves over. Of course we aren't just going to freeload. We'll pitch in to cook and fish too." Claude glanced back at Manuela and said, "Besides, Professor Manuela. This is the perfect chance for you to kick back and relax, isn't it? You can write it off as a team-building exercise… or something. Right?"

Lorenz helped Manuela sit down at a desk. When she was settled in, she frowned. "I suppose… but that's if Professor Byleth agrees to it." She looked over at me.

While her words were polite and noncommittal, the desperate glint in her eyes told a different story.

…Well, I guess she did deserve a break from the madness and trolling that was Claude von Riegan.

I nodded and said, "I don't mind. Everyone could use a break today, what with recent events and all."

Claude smiled and said, "That's great! Then I hope you don't mind that I invited Mitri and the other Blue Lions as well. I mean, they've already got a free day, so it shouldn't be any trouble for them to come over either, right?"

A casual remark. Logical as well. However, from the glint in his eyes, I could tell that Claude was doing his damn best to annoy me.

Was it because the timeline was completely out of whack now and a far cry from canon?

…Yeah, it was probably because of that.

Still, I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me irritated.

I smiled and said, "The more the merrier. I _do_ owe all the students a party, after all. And it'd be good to have more people around to cheer up De- Edelgard and celebrate her recovery."

Claude's smile widened. It seemed like he caught my tiny slip up… thankfully I didn't say the whole nickname I had for Edelgard. Claude wouldn't let either of us live that down.

Still, he didn't point out my mistake. Instead, Claude said, "That's right… We gotta cheer up the princess and wish her a fast recovery, don't we? Though, I suppose I wouldn't mind if she didn't recover until after the mock battle… We'll need all the advantages we can get." He shook his head. "But enough of that later. Come on guys!"

"Alright!" Raphael pumped a fist in the air and said, "Gotta fish a lot if I want to eat a lot!" Saying that, he started running towards the fishing shack.

"Ah, wait up, Raphael! I'll come with you!" Ignatz called out to Raphael and ran after him.

Lysithea walked over, arms crossed, and shook her head. "What a waste of time…" She looked at Claude and said, "If you're really serious about the mock battle, we should be training, not fishing!"

Claude shrugged. "All work and no play makes your hair gray, Lissy." He paused and said, "…No pun intended."

Lysithea narrowed her eyes. "I'll let that first part slide, but Claude, I swear to the Goddess herself that if you call me by that name again I will shove a dark spike _right _up your-" She paused and then closed her eyes, letting out a slow breath. "No. I won't fall for this again. You're just trying to rile me up to prove a point."

Claude smiled and placed his hands behind his head. "Well lookie here! Our little Lysithea, all grown up!"

Lysithea's eye twitched, but she took a deep breath and then took a seat at the desk as far away from Claude as she could get.

Which, in turn, meant she would be sitting near me by the grill when I made my way back later.

The moment she sat down, she pulled out the book she had tucked under her arm and started reading, pointedly ignoring everyone and everything else around her.

Claude shook his head. "That Lissy… she needs to relax a bit more. Don't you think, Boss?"

"…I think she's on the right track myself. Playing around too much will end up with things going completely off the rails."

"Gee. Speaking from experience, Boss?" Claude's words were light, but the cold glint in his eyes said otherwise.

At that time, Lorenz stretched and said, "No party would be complete without tea." He waved at Claude and said, "I will return shortly, Claude. Do excuse me."

Claude broke eye contact with me and then waved at Lorenz. "Sounds good, Lorenz."

The purple-haired noble nodded and then walked off.

After he left, Leonie marched over. The orange-haired girl glared at me and then pointed at me. "You!"

"…Me?"

She nodded and walked over until she was a few steps away. "Claude told us that it was a misunderstanding, but don't think I've forgotten about how you took Marianne hostage!"

Hilda walked over as well. She crossed her arms and nodded. "That's right! How could you do such a thing to my sweet Mary?"

In the back Marianne shook her head and said, "U-Um… I don't mind it-"

Hilda stuck out her arm towards Marianne and said, "Hush, Mary! Let me finish!"

Claude stared at the two and frowned. It seemed that even he had a bit of a conscience, since he walked between Hilda and Leonie and said, "Now ladies-"

"Quiet, Claude!"

"Shut it, Claude!"

He threw up his hands and took a step back. Glancing towards me, he shook his head and mouthed, "I tried."

That left me with two hostile young women.

Leonie reached out to jab me with her finger. "What do you-"

I grabbed her wrist and narrowed my eyes.

She flinched and tried to take a step back.

I didn't let her. Instead, I tilted my head and glanced at Manuela. "Not to slight you or anything… but I'm guessing it's been pretty rough, huh?"

Manuela pulled out her trusty silver flask and took a long swig. "_Tell_ me about it."

"H-Hey!" Leonie pulled her arm and said, "Let me go!"

I did and then I turned my attention to Claude. "You're the house leader. Don't tell me you didn't give them a run down on what could happen in battle?"

Claude shrugged.

I resisted the urge to sigh and released Leonie.

The orange-haired tomboy pulled her arm back and glared at me. "Some son of Captain Jeralt you are. He'd-"

"Praise me for doing the proper thing and finding a way to end that skirmish without any bloodshed." I shook my head and said, "Honestly, for his apprentice, you really didn't learn much from him, did you?"

"What did you say!?"

I felt a headache growing. Dealing with her… I didn't have the patience for it right now. Instead, I turned towards Marianne and said, "For what it's worth, I _do_ apologize, Marianne. I hope that it wasn't too traumatic."

The blue-haired girl shook her head. "It's fine. I understand why you did it, Professor."

Hilda sighed. "You're too nice, Mary…" She shook her head and then looked at me. "…I'll let this one slide since we were all a bit to blame for that. But you'd better not pull anything like that in the mock battle, mister! Professor or not, I won't hold back if you do!"

Must resist the urge to respond. Must… resist the urge to respond.

Remember. You're trying to save everyone. Even if they're being annoying now, they're still good people. And potentially friends with your students.

So… relax. Calm down, and-

"Ah." Claude scratched the back of his head and said, "Guess that means Plan A is out the window."

Hilda gasped and rounded on him. "Claude?!"

"Hey, like Boss said, abducting people and using hostages is a great way to win without fighting!"

"You can't just _do_ that, Claude!"

Claude threw up his hands and said, "Fine, fine. We'll fight fair and square, Hilda."

The pink-haired girl shook her head and sighed. "Whatever. Come on, Leonie. Let's just get some fish already."

Leonie glared at me one last time before looking at Hilda. "Got it, Hilda. Let's go before I do something that professor will regret."

I physically resisted the urge to reprimand her.

…Damn. How did high school teachers put up with garbage like this?

Claude watched the two girls leave and then said, "Well… guess that's settled. Anyway." He looked at me and said, "I've got a feeling we'll be needing a lot more food soon. It'd also be pretty rude to empty out the fishing pond, so why don't I head out to grab some more food?" He paused and looked at the grill I had running as well as the stack of cooked fish and meat. "…And another grill while I'm at it."

I still didn't completely trust Claude… but that was a tempting offer. I'd be around for hours cooking at this rate if I had to feed all the houses.

"I'd appreciate that."

"Great." Claude waved. "I'll be back soon then."

He left, leaving me with Lysithea by the grill, Marianne still standing around, and Manuela nursing her flask nearby.

Marianne stood around for a bit and then walked over to join Lysithea. The blue-haired girl quietly sat down and then pulled out a journal from her shirt. After that, she pulled out a pencil and started writing.

I shook my head and picked up my bucket, intending to go back to grilling. Before I could though, Manuela walked up and took a seat nearby, again taking a long swig from her flask.

When she did, I caught the distinct scent of alcohol wafting from her.

"…Long morning?"

She sighed and said, "Long_ everything_, Byleth." Manuela shook her head. "I don't know how you put up with it. I mean, usually it's fine, but this year…"

"Claude?"

"Claude." Manuela sighed and slumped down on the desk. "Argh… that boy infuriates me to no end. He's always playing Mister Know-it-all, but he's too damned charming for me to reprimand him! You know how it is, don't you?" Saying that, she took another swig from her flask.

"…Sure."

Manuela paused, noticing me staring at her flask. "What? It's medicine." She frowned and said, "I can't help it that concoctions consist of ninety percent alcohol."

"Is that… healthy?"

Manuela nodded. "Annoyingly so. The other ten percent make it impossible to get drunk. Not that I could drink alcohol in this state anyway… that damned Flame Emperor stabbed me with something covered in a weird poison. Can't detox it or heal it with magic, so I just have to keep chugging these things until it passes through my system. Urgh… and my dates don't believe me either. Think I'm some drunk harlot who can't get over herself." She paused and looked at me. "You don't think that, do you, Byleth?"

Yes. Well, in her bad times… but I couldn't say that. So instead, I shook my head and said, "Of course not."

"Right? Damned knights don't know what's good for them… if a pretty boy like you thinks I'm good, why don't they?"

"…Because they have bad taste?"

"You're absolutely right!" Manuela pointed at me and raised her flask. And then she flinched and shook her head. "Urgh… damned injuries…" She looked up at me and said, "If you find out who that Flame Emperor guy is, make sure to save a piece for me, alright?" She narrowed her eyes and said, "He's going to learn exactly why you don't mess with the people of the Mittelfrank Opera Company."

"I'll remember to keep that in mind."

After saying that, I picked up my bucket of fish and slowly began edging towards the grill. Before I could make it a single step though, Manuela started talking again.

"Anyway," she said. "How are you doing, Byleth? Sorry for the rant." Manuela shook her head and said, "I've just been… stressed. You know how it is."

I nodded. "The joys of teaching, right?"

Manuela scoffed. "More like sorrows… but I suppose it isn't all bad." She stared off at the pier and said, "Having the kids play nice like this are what makes the long and drab year passable."

I raised an eyebrow. "…Sounds like you don't like teaching too much?"

Manuela shook her head. "It's not that. I enjoy my job, I really do. It's just sometimes… a bit much. Ah, but here I am being a downer." She smiled and said, "This is supposed to be a party for the kids, right? Can't be too mopey here."

I frowned. "You don't need to put on a smile if you're not happy, Manuela."

It was irritating. I'd seen enough of that in my life, enough of that before coming here. People going through the motions, pretending they were okay…

Manuela laughed. "No need to be so serious, Byleth. I'm just a bit tired, honestly." She got up and stretched. "Anyway… I think I'll go relax in the greenhouse for a while. The herbs there might do me some good." She waved and said, "Don't spend too much time cooking, alright? You're only young once, you know?"

And then she was gone.

I sighed and picked up my bucket with the disassembled pike. Maybe now I could finally-

"Byleth!" A cheerful and polite voice called out from above. Dimitri waved from the alcove and said, "Pardon us for intruding, but Claude mentioned that you were throwing a party for El?"

I stared at the disassembled pike sitting in my bucket and reluctantly set it back down.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Some more slice of life stuff. Probably a bunch of support conversation-like scenes to come in the near future.

Not much to say other than that, I think?

Hope the chapter was enjoyable, and thank you for reading and leaving any input, as always.

Until next time!


	39. For Just This Moment

Dimitri walked down the stairs with the Blue Lions behind him. Well, barring Hanneman. My fellow professor was no doubt wrapped up in trying to sort out what was going on with Edelgard's condition.

I waved at Dimitri and said, "Morning, Dimitri. And you probably shouldn't let Edelgard hear you calling her that."

He paused and nodded. "Ah, that is a good point. I will endeavor to remember that in the future."

Dimitri smiled, but I got the sense that his words weren't sincere.

Well, I suppose that it'd be his fault if Edelgard got mad and did something to him, so it didn't bother me too much.

Dimitri stepped onto the pavement and then stared at me. He frowned and said, "Was there a dress code for this party that Claude did not make us aware of?"

"Eh?" I followed his gaze and then remembered that I was still in that fancy suit that Sothis made me.

…Which meant I had just dismantled that pike in mid-air wearing an outfit that looked like a butler.

I resisted the urge to groan at the unintentional anime trope and instead shook my head. "Don't mind this." I gestured towards my suit. "I just didn't change after our meeting this morning."

Dimitri nodded. "I see."

Annette and Mercedes got off the stairs, each carrying a silver tray.

The orange-haired young girl smiled and raised her tray. "We brought treats, Byleth!"

Mercedes nodded and said, "That's right! They're a little rushed, but I managed to whip something up just in time!" She glanced at the table and said, "Shall we go set them up?"

"That'd be great." I nodded and said, "It'll be nice to have a bit more variety than just meat and cookies."

"Ooh, cookies?" Annette glanced at the desks and then frowned. "I don't see any…"

I picked up the bucket, determined this time to make it back to my grill. "They're baking in my room right now. Bernadetta and Ferdinand are keeping an eye on things while I cook everything else here."

Annette gasped. "You have an oven in your room? That's not fair! That means you can bake treats whenever you want!"

Mercedes stared at me. "I didn't take you for the baking type, Professor."

I turned my body towards the grill and said, "You pick up a lot of things as a mercenary. Anyway, just set down the treats wherever there's space."

"Alright, Byleth!" Annette nodded and said, "Come on, Mercie!"

"Coming, Annie!"

Like that, the two best friends walked over to unpack their treats.

I took a step towards the grill. This time I was sure I'd make it there. It'd be a problem if the fish started to burn while I took the time talking with everyone, so-

A light sigh echoed and Ingrid walked down from the stairs. "I'm only here for the food."

Sylvain walked down beside her and said, "That's rude, Ingrid. Even I know better than to say something like that out loud. Right, Felix?" The red-head turned his head back to look up the stairs.

Felix sighed and said, "You two can argue however you want. I'm done here." Saying that, the black-haired swordsman walked over towards the little patch of grass near the green house and sat down to meditate.

Dimitri frowned. "You three… could you not be a bit more respectful?"

Sylvain shrugged. "Hey, we're here, aren't we? I think that's plenty of respect, isn't it?"

"That-"

"Professor Byleth!" A bright male voice called out from the alcove. Ashe stood there and waved, a small bag in his left hand. "We brought some food for the party! Dedue and I prepared a lot of different dishes!"

The man of Duscur walked beside Ashe, his arms filled with a stack of pots and pans, tied together to ensure they didn't fall.

I sighed and set my bucket down again. It seemed like I'd have to get through all the greetings before I could get back to grilling. Hopefully nothing burned… well, Lysithea was sitting there, along with Marianne. Between the two, things should turn out alright.

Maybe?

Sylvain waved at Dimitri and said, "Well, you chat with the professor, Dimitri. Ingrid and I will go find a spot for us."

Ingrid frowned. "Since when do you decide what I'm going to do?"

"Oh come on, Ingrid. You're not the same when you're hungry… here, I'll grab you some of the snacks Mercie brought."

"Argh… whatever."

The two walked off towards Annette and Mercedes.

Dimitri sighed and shook his head. "I apologize for my friends, Byleth. It's just that things have been a bit… tense, recently. You understand how it is."

I nodded. "The two convinced that Edelgard's involved in everything going on?"

Dimitri nodded. "I tried to explain it to them… but, well, since they learned that El is the one I gave my dagger to back when we were children, they've come to the opinion that I am more than a bit… biased in my perception of events."

"Yeah, I could see that."

Sylvain put on a carefree act, but he _was _the oldest one in their group of friends. He was probably just trying to be a good friend and making sure Dimitri didn't mess up.

As for Ingrid, she was training to be a knight. Obviously she would be concerned for Dimitri, both as a friend and as a knight should be.

I shook my head and said, "I don't blame them though. These _are_ a strangely coincidental series of events."

"Even so," Dimitri said. "I know El. While she can be a bit… misguided, I am certain that she is not the cause of this."

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow.

Dimitri sounded certain. Not the type from believing in someone, but in knowing that something was true without doubt.

I was curious about that. Just how much did Dimitri know? And was he a time traveler like Claude, or just happened to have visions of the future?

"Then who do you think might be responsible? Lord Arundel?"

"Of course." Dimitri immediately responded. After that, his expression grew dark. "Lord Arundel… he is a changed man. In the past, he might have cared for El's well-being, but now…I find it hard to believe that he cares for anything but power."

"Mm." I nodded. "Do you think that's why he had Cornelia assassinate your uncle and his children?"

Dimitri nodded. "Of course. With the Blaiddyd line eradicated save for myself, it would-" He froze and then looked at me, shocked.

I carefully raised an eyebrow and frowned. "What? Did I get the wrong information from the Knights of Seiros?"

"Ah. That… of course." Dimitri shook his head.

I blinked and tilted my head. "Well?"

Dimitri nodded. "Yes. The information you have is incorrect. At this time, we only know that my uncle is missing. There is no evidence yet as to whether he is dead." He frowned. "But Byleth- no, Professor-"

At that time, Ashe and Dedue arrived at the bottom of the steps and walked over.

"Sorry for the wait." Ashe lifted up his bag and said, "I had to make sure not to spill anything. Wouldn't be much of a party if the food got messed up, right?"

Dedue nodded. "Yes." The man of Duscur looked over to me and then bowed his head. "His Majesty explained the situation." He shifted the pots and pans and said, "Think of this as an apology towards you and Lady Edelgard."

"It's fine. Yesterday was a whole bunch of misunderstandings, so that's all forgiven. Also, I never doubted any of the Blue Lions for a moment."

After all, from that slip up earlier, Dimitri was still honest to a fault, even if he was trying to hide the fact that he knew about the future.

Though that made me wonder…

"But Dedue. Is there a reason why you're calling Dimitri His Majesty instead of His Highness? He hasn't taken the throne yet, has he?"

Dedue nodded, his expression as unreadable as a boulder. "That is correct. However, with recent events that is inevitable. I am merely training myself for the near future. It would not be fitting for my role as a retainer to use an improper title at the time."

Unlike Dimitri, Dedue didn't let anything slip. Still… while his logic was sound, the man of Duscur had been calling Dimitri His Majesty since before it came out that Dimitri's uncle was missing.

I wondered for a moment if Dimitri had told everyone in the Blue Lions about the future… no. Annette and Mercedes didn't seem to know, and the two weren't good enough actors to fake their treatment of me. Ashe didn't seem to know either.

Then… probably just Dimitri's core group of friends? Dedue, Sylvain, Ingrid, and Felix? It would explain the disdain and caution…

"Anyway, Professor Byleth!" Ashe called out and said, "Where should we set things up? By the platter of meat?"

I nodded. "If you would, that'd be great. Probably be best to keep it a bit away from the grill though."

"Understood!" Ashe nodded and said, "Come on, Dedue."

The man of Duscur nodded and then looked at me. "Then, I will excuse myself, Professor Byleth. Your Majesty." He nodded at Dimitri as well and then walked off with Ashe.

That left me and Dimitri.

Before he could say anything, I picked up my bucket and walked over to the grill. This time, I was determined to not let anything or anyone stop me.

Dimitri followed behind me.

I glanced back and said, "Curious about what I have in the bucket?"

"Ah, it's not that, Byleth." Dimitri shook his head. "I just… felt like speaking with you."

"Hm… Alright. I hope you don't mind doing that while I grill."

"Of course not."

I nodded and walked over to the table where I had placed all my fish prep equipment. It was one over from where Lysithea and Marianne sat, or in other words, the one after the table right next to the grill.

Originally, it had been pretty quiet. But now with the Golden Deer and Blue Lions around, the air was filled with the sound of conversation and laughter. Like how a school should be.

I smiled a bit at that and then put on a pair of gloves before placing the filets of pike I made on a cutting board to prep them for grilling. A bit of dill, some light oil, salt, pepper…

Dimitri stood beside me and said, "You are quite adept at this, Byleth."

I flipped over the filets to season the other side. After that, I nodded and said, "You pick up a lot of things as a mercenary." I fell back on the familiar excuse and continued prepping the filets.

Dimitri frowned. "Even so…"

"If you're going to ask if I'm secretly a master chef, stop. I've heard that from Edelgard and Claude already." I shook my head and moved the filets to a plate.

"My apologies, Byleth. However, you cannot deny that you are quite skilled at cooking."

"Yeah, well between me and my dad, one of us had to pick it up."

Jeralt was terrible at cooking. Now he was alright at making tea and getting the food prepped, but cooking itself… I could still remember how Diane and Clark had to drag me out from the campsite one day when my dad tried to make stew. Stew, of all things. It had been so simple too, toss some meat and water into the pot along with some vegetables, but he still managed to burn down not only the campsite but a lot of our spare tents as well…

Dimitri laughed. "I see. To think that the great Captain Jeralt would have such a weakness."

I covered the bucket with some of the wax paper from the venison earlier. I couldn't do much about the fact that they were going to be standing out for a while, but that would slow down the decay a little bit.

After that, I picked up the plate of filets and made my way towards the grill.

Glancing back at Dimitri, I said, "Well, all of us have some sort of flaw. Right, Mister Broken Door?"

Dimitri flushed. "T-That was out of my control."

"Right, right." I arrived at my grill and then placed a filet on the grill with a pair of tongs. A soft hiss echoed as the fish hit the hot iron.

Lysithea looked up at that. She blinked and said, "Professor? Would you like me to move?"

"If you don't mind the smell or the heat, feel free to stay. Though you might be surrounded by cats later from the smell of fish clinging to your clothes."

Lysithea shook her head. "I don't mind." She looked across and said, "What about you, Marianne?"

The blue-haired girl shook her head as well. "It's fine. I enjoy cats."

…Well Marianne had her priorities squared away, I guess?

She glanced over at Dimitri and said, "And good morning, Dimitri."

Lysithea blinked and glanced over at Dimitri as well. Seeing him, she sighed and said, "Maybe I should get some more sleep… but good morning, Prince Dimitri."

"A good morning to the two of you as well," Dimitri said. "And pardon me for intruding." He glanced over at me and said, "Were you two planning to spend time with Byleth?"

Hm… the heat seemed a bit hot for the pike. Maybe I should turn it down a bit.

"W-What? Me and the Professor?" Lysithea shook her head. "Ridiculous! I might admire him for his skills and intellect, but-"

"Easy, Lysithea." Dimitri shook his head. "I did not mean to offend. I was simply curious."

"I-I see." Lysithea nodded. "Then you have my apologies, Prince Dimitri." She sighed and placed her book down on the table. "My nerves have been… stretched recently by Claude."

"Ah." Dimitri nodded. "So he has been just as trying in his own class then."

I glanced up from the grill. "Wait, what's this about Claude?"

Dimitri shook his head. "Nothing much. Simply… his sense of humor has been a bit, shall we say, on the nose recently?"

I flipped over a filet to check the heat. After making sure it was just right, I turned to Dimitri and said, "How so?"

"Ah, well…"

Lysithea huffed. "That Claude continues to treat me as a child! Baiting me with candy, offering to carry my books, calling me by pet names… I am fifteen!" She scowled and said, "Yet he continues to treat me as if I am some sort of toddler! Is that not right, Marianne?"

The blue-haired girl flinched and quickly nodded.

"See?" Lysithea said.

I had the sense that Marianne was nodding more out of self-preservation than out of agreement, but I could see Lysithea's point.

"Speaking of Claude," Dimitri said. "I do not see him around."

"You won't." I placed another filet on the grill and said, "He went to grab another grill and some more food."

"Sensible of him," Dimitri said. "…But oddly considerate as well."

Lysithea nodded. "You can thank Hilda for that. Claude's probably scared about her scolding him for not acting like a responsible leader later."

I flipped the first filet and nodded. "I'll make a note to send her some flowers later."

Maybe it'd help ease some of the tension between us… and I suppose it would be good to apologize for almost burning her alive with a flaming punch.

…Not that she would ever know that considering Lorenz interrupted me before that could happen, but it was the thought that counted.

Dimitri glanced over at Marianne and said, "I apologize for ignoring you, Marianne. How are you on this fine day?"

I placed another filet on the grill and said, "Today? Fine? Have you looked up at all, Dimitri?"

The weather was still overcast with gloomy gray clouds. The only upside was that it wasn't raining. To call this a fine day… you'd either have to be taking a lot of artistic freedom or be blind.

He flushed and said, "I-It is a figure of speech, Byleth!"

Marianne laughed. "Thank you, Dimitri. And I am well."

I paused for a moment and stared at Marianne.

…Huh. So that was the difference laughter and joy could make in a person.

Because of the bags under her eyes and her gloomy demeanor, Marianne gave off a vibe similar to the ghost from the Grudge or the Ring. Yet, the moment she smiled and laughed, it was like she was a completely different person. Beautiful, carefree… it was day and night, almost to the letter.

It seemed Dimitri was just as shocked as I was at Marianne's reaction. The prince coughed into his hand and said, "Yes… well, that is good to hear." His face was slightly flushed when he said that.

I didn't blame him. Even I was charmed by Marianne's beauty. The contrast was just too striking, and something that I would have stopped to appreciate all day… if it wasn't for the fact that these pike filets needed constant attention.

I flipped the filets again and mentally lamented my decision to have a fish grilling session.

…Which reminded me. I wondered how Bernadetta and Ferdinand were getting on with those cookies. It had been a while now, and they weren't back yet…

Lysithea glanced between Dimitri and Marianne and then shook her head. "If that is all, I'm going to continue my studies." After saying that, she pulled out her book again and started reading.

Dimitri nodded. "As you will, Lysithea." He glanced at Marianne and said, "And I apologize once again for disturbing your writing, Marianne."

She shook her head, that smile still on her face. "I don't mind. It was… a nice break."

Dimitri smiled as well. "I am glad to hear that."

I rolled my eyes and said, "If you want to flirt with Marianne, Dimitri, could you do that some other time? Or at least away from here?"

"I-I am doing no such thing!"

Marianne laughed again, a sweet and soft giggle.

Lysithea sighed and said, "On second thought, I am moving." She got up and tucked her book under her arm.

"O-Oh." Marianne shook her head. "I'm sorry, Lysithea."

"It's fine, Marianne. I don't blame you." Lysithea glanced around and said, "This atmosphere has become a bit too lively to concentrate in." She turned to me and said, "Would you inform Professor Manuela that I will be studying in the library, Professor? Not to be rude, but-"

I shook my head. "I got it, Lysithea. And don't worry, I'll save you some cookies for later."

Lysithea froze and glanced over at where Annette and Mercedes were laying out the baked sweets. "W-Well... No. Stay strong, Lysithea." She shook her head and said, "I will be going now, Professor!"

Like that, Lysithea ran off.

Marianne got up and said, "I should be going as well… It's been fun, but I need to check on Dorte." She frowned. "I haven't had the chance to these past few days." She turned to me and waved. "Thank you, Professor. Dimitri. I hope you have a good day."

And then she was gone as well, leaving just me and Dimitri.

Dimitri sighed.

The first filet was finished cooking, so I placed that on top of the other cooked fish. When that was done, I glanced at Dimitri and said, "Wow. You really have a way with the girls, huh Dimitri?"

He shook his head and sat down at the table. "I could go without the teasing, Byleth."

"Hey, I say it as I see it. Also, I heard about you giving Delly her dagger as a parting gift. Not the best gift you could give a girl."

Dimitri frowned. "It was symbolic! A means to cut her own path in a dark-" He paused. "Hold on. 'Delly'?"

I tensed for a brief moment and then placed another filet on the grill.

Dimitri stared at me.

I stared back.

"…Do not tell me that you are referring to El with that name."

I coughed and averted my eyes. "H-Hey. It's short, sweet, and means noble. It fits, right?"

Dimitri raised an eyebrow. "Is that the rationale you gave El for calling her that?"

"…Yes?"

"And she did not ream you for calling her a short, sweet noble?"

I paused. "Alright, maybe the wording could have been better, but at least I knew better than to give her a dagger."

"It was a practical gift, Byleth. One that she used recently to save her life, if I recalled correctly."

He got me there.

Dimitri frowned. "…Though I am surprised."

"Hm?"

He shook his head. "It is nothing."

"Are you talking about her forgetting about the time she was in Faerghus?"

Dimitri looked up at me. "You know?"

I flipped a filet and said, "A little. There's a lot about Edelgard that she keeps wrapped up tight, but I have my ways of knowing these things."

Mostly through support conversations and playing through all the routes, but that was neither here nor there.

"I see. So she had truly forgotten… that explains a great deal." He frowned and then clenched his hands. "…And it adds to the growing list that my _dear uncle_ has to answer for."

His voice turned into a growl when he mentioned 'dear uncle'. For that split moment, it seemed that the 'boar' Felix mentioned emerged. But that was odd considering who Dimitri was talking about.

I blinked and said, "The guy who went missing?" I didn't remember him being involved in Edelgard's problems…

"Ah. My mistake." Dimitri shook his head. "I am referring to Lord Arundel. While I did not intend to hide it, the truth is-"

"Oh, if you're talking about you and Edelgard being step siblings, I know that already. I was just confused for a bit, what with recent events and all."

Dimitri raised an eyebrow. "I see that El trusts you a great deal."

I moved another cooked filet to the platter and said, "You could say that. But what's with the vitriol against Lord Arundel. He _is_ the Regent Emperor at the moment, whether we like it or not."

"I am well aware, Byleth." Dimitri's face darkened. "Even so… that man- no, that _monster_ is responsible for all of El's suffering. Were he not around…" He shook his head and said, "While weak from the insurrection, El's father would not have died so suddenly. I am certain of it. The only explanation for this is that man."

"You're not wrong… but that doesn't explain your vehement hatred towards the guy."

Dimitri froze. Did he realize that he slipped up? He coughed and said, "Yes, well… I have my sources."

"Right…" I placed another filet on the grill and said, "Well, remember that I'm as invested in Edelgard's well-being as you are. Don't go running off following murderous revenge schemes without consulting me first. After all…" I narrowed my eyes when I thought about what Edelgard had gone through and her current condition. "…I need to explain to those guys in great detail about why it's a bad idea to piss off a demon."

Chemical warfare might be out… but that didn't mean I couldn't use other things. After all, healing magic was extremely useful in torture, and while the Agarthan body was different, it couldn't be _that_ different from a normal person's.

"Understood, Byleth." Dimitri nodded. "Furthermore… I must thank you."

"Hm?" I snapped out of my dark fantasies and glanced at Dimitri. "What for?"

Dimitri stared at me, a strange mix of emotions in his eyes. A bit of regret and disappointment, but also gratitude and expectation. He shook his head and said, "Initially, I was disappointed that you did not choose the Blue Lions. I had been greatly looking forward to working with you this year. However…" He shifted his gaze off to the pier.

I followed it and saw that he was looking at Edelgard. The princess was smiling, having just reeled in a small goby.

Dimitri shook his head and said, "I am glad that you did not choose us. If that is the cost to see El so happy and carefree, I am willing to pay that price."

"Hey now, you make it seem like we're going to be mortal enemies or something. Just because I'm not your direct professor doesn't mean I'm still not your professor, Dimitri."

"That is true. As things are, I see no way in which El would wish to…"

"Wish to…?"

Dimitri shook his head. "That… you must understand, Byleth, that El can be a bit… extreme." He stared at Edelgard, but his eyes became distant, as if seeing someone else. "I know not what occurred to her between the time she left Faerghus and now, but I know that it has scarred her deeply. Enough that she would have been willing to cast her heart into steel and cut a bloody path of vengeance."

I flipped a filet and said, "That's exaggerating a bit, don't you think?"

"No." Dimitri's eyes focused and he looked at me. "I am not. And you should know this as well, Byleth. I am certain that you are even more aware of it as her professor than I am as an onlooker."

I was quiet and took off a finished filet. After that, I added the rest of the filets to the grill and turned to look at Dimitri.

He shifted his gaze back to Edelgard. A soft smile crossed his face and he said, "To see El this carefree and happy again… often, I wonder if I haven't died and gone to heaven. A peaceful scene like this… no, moments like these. I truly wish that they could last forever."

I turned around to stare at Edelgard as well. She was laughing alongside Dorothea and Petra, unhooking another catch. While she did, her eyes caught my gaze and she waved, a bright smile on her face.

I waved back and then turned around. "…Yeah. It'd be nice if we could just stay like this, with Delly being all cute and awkward rather than serious and stern."

"Again with that name…" Dimitri smiled. "I am surprised she allowed it, Byleth. After all, she was so adamantly against me calling her El."

I flipped the filets and said, "Yeah, well considering her recent idiotic decisions, she's just going to have to put up with it."

Dimitri laughed. "I suppose. Though, Byleth… while she might seem annoyed, I believe that she is probably secretly enjoying you calling her by that name. By all means, do continue calling her that."

"I plan on it."

Dimitri went quiet for a bit and stared at my face.

I stared back… until it started to get awkward with how long he was staring. "Is there something on my face? I didn't get fish guts on me, did I?"

Dimitri shook his head. "My apologies, Byleth. It is just… El is not the only one who has lightened up."

"You're talking about me, right?" I shrugged. "Well, in a time like this, it's best to not be too serious. After all… times like these won't last."

I could feel it. As much as I wished it wouldn't, I knew that war was coming. While Edelgard wouldn't be the drive for it with her decision, she had just been the spark. Fodlan was already a sitting pile of gunpowder, waiting to blow. And now with the Agarthans already starting to make moves…

Dimitri sighed. "I pray that it does not come to that. But if it must…" He looked at me. "Know that I will stand by you, Byleth. No matter what comes to pass, this I swear: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd will never betray you."

"…That's a pretty hefty oath there, Dimitri. What if I decide that the best course of action is to kill every last one of you?"

Dimitri shook his head. "Knowing you, Byleth, if that comes to pass… then perhaps we have deserved it. You are not one to choose such a path lightly, nor without reason."

His blue eyes were steady. He said those words with unwavering faith.

But… that faith wasn't in me.

I was sure of it now. Dimitri had come from Azure Moon. How and why, I didn't know. Maybe he passed away and was reincarnated, maybe that Byleth did something to send him back… or maybe it was the bonds that pulled him across time and space to this period.

Either way, his faith lay in Byleth. Not me.

Dimitri, Edelgard… both of them had faith in me. That I could do no wrong.

But… no.

_You can do it._

I could do it. Even though I wasn't completely Byleth, he was as much a part of me as I was a part of him. I just so happened to have more parts of me than him at the time.

So…

I met Dimitri's unwavering gaze and nodded. "You can count on me, Dimitri."

He smiled and then got up from his seat. "Well… I suppose I've taken enough of your time, Byleth." Dimitri glanced over at the pond and said, "I may as well join my peers in fishing… and perhaps El as well."

I flipped the filets again and said, "If you do, make sure not to call her that anywhere near Dorothea. You'll never live it down."

Dimitri nodded. "Understood, Professor. Then… I will bid you farewell, for now." With a slight wave, Dimitri left, walking over to the fishing shack.

When he did, I realized something important.

"…Dammit. I'm going to be here even longer now, aren't I?"

Just as I said that, I saw Raphael walk over with a giant line of fish, Ignatz in fast pursuit with a few of his own.

I sighed, mentally resolving myself towards the monumental task before me. And then-

"Professor!" Ferdinand's voice echoed from above.

I looked up to see him carrying a stack of trays, with Bernadetta directly behind him.

Ferdinand von Aegir beamed and said, "I have returned with the sweets!"

"That's great!"

Now, time to hold good ol' Ferd to his word about taking over the cooking duties…

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I'm beginning to understand what those famous authors mean by the story writing itself. These days, I just sit in front of the page and words magically come out. After a couple of hours, I sit there and think, 'Did I really write this?'

Weird.

Anyway, I don't think I've got much to say about this chapter either. Well, other than the fact that Dimitri is fun to tease and that Ferdinand chose a poor time to return.

Thanks for reading and leaving your input! I hope this chapter was enjoyable!

Until tomorrow!


	40. Cross My Heart

**Author's Notes:**

Xfinity sucks.

* * *

Ferdinand wore the apron I handed him and began tying it behind his back. "I assure you, Professor. There is no need to be concerned."

I stared at him, especially at the giant pile of fish Raphael and Ignatz had left behind. "Are you sure about this, Ferd? I mean, I can always-"

"No, no." Ferdinand shook his head. "You have done enough. Allow me to take over the duties from here on out."

"…It's going to be messy and pretty involved, you know? Fileting the fish, gutting them, seasoning them, grilling them… are you really, _really_, sure you want to swap out with me?"

Ferdinand picked up a spatula with his right hand and did a fancy spinning move along his wrist. "Do you doubt my skills, Professor?"

"Of course not. However-"

Ferdinand waved me away and said, "Go enjoy the fruits of your labor, Professor. And if such a thing weighs heavy on your conscience… think of this as my repayment for you alleviating Edelgard of a portion of her burden. While I know not how you achieved it… I am grateful."

I stared at Ferdinand's calm gaze and nodded. "Then… best of luck to you."

"Hah! A noble such as I does not need luck… but I am grateful for your sentiment."

I waved at him and walked away from the grill.

At the same time I left, Caspar walked over carrying another bucket. "Got another one, Prof- oh, Ferdinand? You're taking over?"

Thank you for your sacrifice, Ferdinand von Aegir. You will always be remembered.

* * *

After leaving Ferdinand to deal with the never-ending supply of fish, I decided to head over to check on how the rest of the food was being setup. Annette, Mercedes, Ashe and Dedue had brought over a lot of stuff, so I wanted to make sure that they weren't having trouble.

Maybe since they saw me taking up a lot of room in prepping the fish, or just because they needed a lot of room themselves, the food preppers of the Blue Lions had moved everything over to the far side of the desks, nearer the stairs to the right of where I had been grilling.

As for the Blue Lions themselves, Mercedes and Annette were seated on the side of the table near the wall. Ashe was still arranging a few plates, standing on the side near the pond, and Dedue stood beside him, quietly reaching out towards whatever Ashe couldn't reach.

Annette noticed me walking over and waved. "Hi there, Byleth! We're just putting the final touches on arranging everything!"

I glanced over at the tables and nodded. "I can see that."

A beautiful and colorful array of food. There were cookies, obviously, but a lot of other sweet treats as well. Some brownies, doughnuts, a tiny cake… and those were only the few that I could name. There were a lot of others that I had seen in bakeries, but never learned the name of as well.

There weren't any icing on them, probably since that wasn't a thing here, but there were a few honey-glazed pastries.

All of those sweets had been piled up in a silver multi-tiered platter thing. I didn't know the name of it, but it was basically the one that Byleth had in his tea parties to hold his sweets for his guests.

A stack of cups and some pitchers of what looked like juice encircled the platter, and then surrounding those were the various dishes that Ashe and Dedue brought over.

In a big pot, there was some Daphnel stew, minced poultry and onions boiled with salt. Probably a contribution from Ingrid, intentionally or otherwise.

A large metal tray was filled with a vegetable pasta salad, refreshing and savory.

There was another pot with onion gratin soup with a few meat pies sitting next to it.

And those were only a few of the dishes I saw. The entire table was filled with food, colorful and varied. Mostly Faerghus recipes, like that Daphnel stew and a Gautier Cheese Gratin, from what I could gather, but I saw a few other cuisines too, like some super-spicy fish dango.

Ashe wiped his hands with a white towel and said, "I hope you don't mind that the dishes are a bit random. There are a few fish-based entrees, but most of them aren't."

I shook my head. "It's better that way. I think we'd all get pretty sick of eating fish after a while, so having all this variety helps a lot. But… when did you have the time to make all of this?"

I was pretty sure that I was the only one with an oven in his room, mostly by virtue of some unsanctioned room modifications and alchemy experiments. They could have borrowed the kitchen, but even then all of this looked like it would have taken a while to make.

Just how long ago did Claude tell Dimitri about the party? Was he hanging around outside our class to eavesdrop and let it slip right away?

Ashe shook his head. "Actually, it's mostly coincidence." He looked to Dedue.

The man of Duscur nodded and said, "His Majesty has been stressed recently. To alleviate that, we planned to serve His Majesty an assortment of food in the hopes that one is to his preference."

Mercedes nodded. "That's right. Food always cheers people up, so when Ashe and Dedue mentioned it, Annie and I thought we'd help out! Ah, but the boys made most of the dishes here. Annie and I made the sweets!"

Annette smiled. "Yeah! It was a bit hard making sure the ovens didn't explode, but it all worked out in the end!"

"Ovens? Explode?" I glanced over at Ashe for an answer, since he seemed the more reasonable person of the group.

The gray-haired archer scratched the back of his head. "H-Haha. Don't worry about it, Professor! It all got sorted out."

I frowned and glanced at Mercedes.

She laughed and said, "W-Well, Annie tried hard. And like Ashe said, it turned out well, didn't it?"

The way they were deflecting made me curious about what exactly happened, but I decided to let it slide. "Alright…"

"Anyway," Ashe said. "Will you not try some of the food, Professor? I'm sure it'll be to your liking."

Mercedes clapped her hands together and said, "That's right! Please, try some of the sweets, Professor! Annie mentioned you were looking forward to them, so I'm really curious if you'll like them!"

"Mm… it's a bit early, but I _have_ been grilling a lot… I guess I'll try some." It was only fair for me to reward myself a bit, right?

I picked up a clean plate and grabbed some silverware before scooping up some food. I decided on a brownie first, as well as a bit of the vegetable pasta.

Ashe stared at me, waiting with bated breath.

Mercedes was doing the same, her light blue eyes carefully watching my spoon.

It was a bit unnerving, but we'd be there all day if I let that bothered me, so I decided to dig in.

Having the brownie first would spoil my appetite, so I started with the vegetable pasta salad.

The pasta of the salad were those twisty noodle that looked like a spring. The vegetables were broccoli bits and carrots, as well as a few cuts of tomato.

I took my fork and stabbed a piece of broccoli, as well as a few noodles and then took a bite.

A faint sweet taste, but savory. Refreshing, with a tiny hint of acidity. Maybe a spritz of vinegar or lemon? Either way, it was good.

But that reminded me. When was the last time I ate? It couldn't have been yesterday, since I was busy all morning and afternoon. We grabbed a few sandwiches in our trip, but I'd been focused on making sure everything went well.

Ashe frowned. "Is it not to your liking, Professor?"

"Ah." I shook my head and lowered my fork. "It's not that. I was just wondering when the last time I had a proper meal was."

Annette gasped. "Byleth! Don't tell me you've been skipping meals! That's not healthy!"

Dedue frowned. "Annette is correct. While I may take issue with his lack of sleep and self-imposed burdens, even His Majesty ensures that he maintains the proper amount of meals each day."

Mercedes gave me a stern look and then walked around before pointedly heaping on some more pasta on my plate. "Now see here, Professor! Just because you're some famous mercenary and an instructor doesn't excuse you from eating proper meals! You sit down this instant and eat!"

I stared at her.

Mercedes glared at me, but considering who she was, it came off more like a pout. Coupled with the spoon she was pointing in my face, it came off as cute rather than intimidating.

I laughed.

"This is no funny business, Mister!"

"Sorry." I shook my head. "I didn't mean to laugh. It's just… a bit ridiculous."

The scene was oddly nostalgic. I couldn't remember why, but having Mercedes concerned over me not eating enough… it stirred something in my heart. Wistfulness? Melancholy? I couldn't quite place the emotion, but it was somewhat comforting either way.

"Well, ridiculous or not, you need to make sure you eat right!" Mercedes lowered her spoon and said, "It wouldn't do to have you collapse in the middle of a lecture or something now, would it?"

"Right, right." I nodded and sat down to eat. After taking a few bites though, I noticed the others weren't. I tilted my head and said, "You know, you guys can help yourselves, right?" I gestured towards the food, as well as the stacked platter of fish and meat I'd grilled. "This stuff won't be as good when it cools down, so feel free to eat whenever."

Ashe shook his head. "I don't want to be rude. This is Edelgard's party, isn't it?" He glanced over at the pond and said, "I wouldn't want to start eating when she hasn't yet."

I waved my hand and said, "It's fine. That might have been the case, but since we're all here now, just think of it as a big get together. You know, a bit of friendliness before the mock battle."

A violet blur popped out from beneath the table, followed by a female voice. "Finally!"

Bernadetta grabbed a plate and quickly filled it with sweets before sitting next to me. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to hear that, Professor!"

I blinked. "You're… welcome?" I shook my head and said, "Wait. Why were you under the table? No, since when?"

Bernadetta stuffed a brownie in her mouth and poured out a cup of juice for herself. "Finf I ga ba!"

"…Come again?"

Bernadetta swallowed and then said, "Since I got back! I saw Annie and Mercie setting up the sweets and I couldn't wait to start eating! You could not _believe_ how agonizing it was to wait for the cookies too! You've gotta tell me where you get your sugar, Professor! I mean, it's super sweet, tasty and…" She stopped and then glared at me. "Right! Ferdie said that you told him I couldn't use a lot of sugar! Why not?!"

"That's because-"

Bernadetta leaned forward, almost pushing her face against my own. "You weren't kidding about the sweets, right? Ferdie said you'd give me all the sweets I could eat for the year if I didn't use a lot of sugar!"

"A week."

"A year!"

I stared at Bernadetta, and then at the bits of white dust around her hood and frowned. "Don't tell me you downed the entire jar?"

Bernadetta blinked and jumped back. "Who? Me? Bernie? Drink the entire jar of sweet, succulent, crystal sugar?"

Wait, _drink_ the jar?

"Bernie, what did-"

"BERNIE OUT!"

Before I could react, Bernadetta jumped out of the seat and ran off towards the stairs in a purple blur.

"Huh." I stared at where Bernie vanished and muttered, "Guess the buffs from food weren't just a gameplay thing."

"Um… Professor?" Ashe said. "Was that… Bernadetta?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Long story short, it looks like Ferdinand got to her a bit too late."

Though in hindsight, maybe I shouldn't have left Bernie unsupervised with my completely undiluted sugar supply… Well, she'd learn her lesson later tonight when the sugar high wore off.

"I… see." Ashe said. "Is she going to be alright?"

"Should be fine. Just a bit of a sugar high is all."

Annette winced. "Ooh… that doesn't sound fun. Bernie's going to feel that later."

I shrugged. "It'll teach her not to eat an entire jar of highly refined white sugar."

Ashe paused and said, "Professor. Why _do_ you have a jar of highly refined white sugar?"

"Trade secret. But like I was saying before the Bernie incident, feel free to eat."

Footsteps approached. I turned towards them to see Sylvain walking over with his hands held behind his neck. Ingrid followed him, eyeing the food on the table.

When Sylvain saw me, he gave a lazy wave and said, "So we good to eat now?"

"Sylvain!" Ingrid frowned and said, "Could you not have put it so bluntly?"

Sylvain turned his head back a bit and said, "Come on, Ingrid. How else could I have asked that?"

"Maybe ask if the festivities have begun?"

"Isn't that obvious? But anyway…" Sylvain glanced at Mercedes and said, "Can we eat, Mercie?"

Mercedes frowned. "That's a bit rude, Sylvain. The professor is right there."

"Right, right." He shook his head and glanced at me. There was a smile on his face, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Well, Professor?"

It seemed like he was still suspicious… Well, I couldn't really blame him. He probably felt the same way about me as I did about Claude.

I nodded and said, "Help yourself. We're probably going to be out all day, so it'd be a waste to let the food sit out for long. Besides, Claude should be back later with another grill and more food."

Well, I hoped he would. If he was lying about that… well, I guess I could always borrow a few of his hypothetical plans for the mock battle…

"Great!" Sylvain glanced behind him and said, "See, Ingrid? You can eat your heart out."

Ingrid blushed and said, "W-What are you implying, Sylvain? I am no glutton!"

"Sure, sure…"

I stood up and said, "Well, you guys enjoy yourselves. I should probably check up on the VIP of this party."

Sylvain waved at me. "Sounds like a plan, Professor. Wouldn't want the princess to go on a murderous rampage or anything like that."

"Sylvain!" Ingrid glared at the red-head.

"What?" He shrugged. "Even you get stabby when you're hungry, Ingrid!"

"That's not what-" Ingrid sighed and shook her head. After that, she looked at me and said, "I apologize for my companion's boorish behavior, Professor."

"…It's fine. Anyway, I'm off." I picked up my plate and waved. "Take care."

"Ah!" Ashe waved. "You as well, Professor!"

I took a bite of my pasta salad as I walked off.

Well, at least half of the Blue Lions liked me. It really made me curious though.

Was Dimitri not the only one who remembered the future in the Blue Lions? Or was Sylvain just that adamantly against Edelgard because Dimitri told them what happened?

I took another bite of my pasta salad and then shook my head.

I could worry about that later. For now, I just had to relax… at least as much as I could before switching with Ferdinand again.

From the stack of fishes lying on the ground next to him, it'd be a bit unfair to keep him waiting too long.

But first, the main star of this makeshift party.

* * *

Edelgard was still fishing with Dorothea and Petra at the pier. While my princess was enjoying herself, Dorothea seemed to have given up on fishing, electing instead to hand her rod to Edelgard and just take her place beside the princess. Still, it seemed like the experience with the pike had made the former idol a bit paranoid.

While Dorothea stood beside Edelgard, seemingly relaxed and chatting away, I could see a few crackles of lightning at her fingertips. Clearly, she didn't intend to have another close call with a fish any time soon.

As for Petra, she was doing well for herself. There were three buckets beside her. From what I could see, they were filled with fish filets. Judging from the slight red tint in the water, it seemed that she'd taken my little act with the pike to heart and was dismantling her catches as she got them.

I walked over to Edelgard and said, "Enjoying yourself, Delly?"

Edelgard immediately turned towards me. "My teacher!" She flushed and said, "Would you kindly not call me that?" She shifted in place and said, "I don't mind in private, but with others… it's a bit embarrassing."

Dorothea laughed.

Edelgard huffed and glared at her. "Dora!"

Dorothea waved her left hand and said, "Sorry, Edie. It's just… where did the princess that said she had no time for love run off to?"

Edelgard shook her head and stared back at the pond. "She simply realized how precious her time is and decided it was better spent on more valuable things."

"Huh." Dorothea stared at Edelgard and said, "Thought you'd be more flustered than that… guess it's more than a crush, huh, Professor?"

I coughed and said, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

_Ba-dump._

My heart throbbed, but I ignored it. Instead, I shook my head and said, "You shouldn't go around pairing people up, Dorothea. Some might take offense to that."

Dorothea rolled her eyes. "You're telling me that you _haven't_ imagined marrying my precious Edie over here?" After saying that, Dorothea hugged Edelgard around her shoulders.

Edelgard flinched and squirmed beneath Dorothea's arms. "Stop that, Dora!"

Dorothea looked at me and said, "See? Isn't she adorable?"

_Ba-dump._

Again with my heart.

I frowned and said, "You should stop messing with her, Dorothea. It's dangerous to do that so close to the water… unless you want everyone here to see just how well your clothes hug your body?"

Dorothea smiled and said, "I wouldn't mind, Professor."

"But I'm sure that Delly would. Thus, if you could be so kind…"

Dorothea sighed and let go. "Spoil sport."

I nodded. "That's my job."

"Speaking of your job…" Dorothea stared at me, eyeing my clothes, and then said, "I forgot to ask, but what are you doing dressed like that? It looks like you just came back from a ball or a wedding." She paused and then gave me a sly look. "Could it be that there was more to our joke about you two-"

I held up my hand and said, "I'm going to stop you right there. First of all, Delly and I aren't getting married any time soon. Second of all, I'm dressed like this because I finally had a spare change of clothes other than the tunic I'd been trouncing around in for the past week. Third of all… it's not good to spread rumors like that around, Dorothea. While it might not affect me since I'm just a mercenary, it would be bad for there to be rumors like that surrounding the future Emperor of Adrestria."

_Excuses._

Dorothea froze and then sighed. "You're right." She shook her head and turned towards Edelgard. "Sorry, Edie. I wasn't-"

"It's fine, Dora." Edelgard smiled and said, "While it may be a bit troublesome to deal with, I would rather you be yourself around me than constrain yourself in consideration of my future."

"But-"

"I insist, Dora. Besides, were I so concerned with that, would I have personally recommended you to the academy when that noble retracted his?"

Dorothea smiled. "…You're right, Edie."

Edelgard smiled back and then turned towards me. "That leaves you, my teacher." She frowned. "I appreciate the concern, but you know fully well what lies ahead for me. There's no need to act in such a manner."

That was true. But I couldn't admit that I was saying that to deflect Dorothea's teasing, so I simply shrugged.

Edelgard's frown deepened.

Dorothea looked between us and said, "Ooh, fighting already? Does that mean I have a chance?" She glanced at me and said, "I mean, I know you said I'm not your type, Professor, but I have to say that you're definitely mine. Handsome, skilled, well-established… Mhm." She nodded and said, "If Edie decides not to take you, I'll be ready and willing."

Before I could even process what Dorothea had just implied, Edelgard had already dropped her fishing rod and moved to block Dorothea's gaze. "There'll be no need for that, Dora!"

Dorothea winked at me and said, "Oh come on, Edie! We can share, right?"

"Dora!"

I blinked.

At that time, Petra pulled in a small trout. With a flash, she pulled out her dagger and dismantled the fish, setting the filets in one bucket and tossing the rest back in the pond. That done, she turned towards me and said, "You are very impressing, Professor, to draw the attention of many women."

My brain finally caught up and I crossed my arms. "Alright, stop there. First of all, I have no redeeming qualities besides this." I waved my hand around my face and said, "Any attraction is purely physical. I can assure you that if any of you got to know me personally, you'd lose interest pretty fast."

Edelgard frowned. "My teacher… do you truly believe me to be such a shallow individual?"

I froze and then said, "Of course not, Delly. But-"

Dorothea nodded. "Edie's right. While I have to admit that you're rather easy on the eyes, Professor… well, alright, _very_ easy on the eyes, you're not just a pretty face you know."

I shook my head. "Even so, I'm sure it's just a temporary fancy. I mean, I've only been here a few days, right? You've gotta admit that it's been way too short a time span to develop any meaningful connection."

Edelgard winced and looked away.

…Well damn. Just shot myself in the foot there, didn't I?

Dorothea glared at me. "Is that what you believe, Professor? Do we really mean that little to you?"

"Of course not! It's just… ah, damn." I shook my head. "Fine! You win! I care about you guys a lot and just don't want things to get awkward, alright? It's barely been a week- no, not even. Can you at least let me get through the rest of this month without pressing me on this stuff?"

It was quiet. Well, not completely. The sounds of the other students chatting along with the soft waves from the pond filled the air. However, there was a distinct lack of response from either Dorothea, Petra, or Edelgard.

And then Dorothea laughed.

I glared at her. "What? Think it's funny, do you?"

"Sorry, sorry." Dorothea shook her head. "It's just… our fearless and infallible professor, Mister tall, dark, and handsome, scared of a little commitment…"

"I-I am not scared of commitment!"

I just… didn't want to be in a relationship where I had to wonder if they liked me for _me_ or if it was just a bleed over effect from Byleth.

_…You're the same person._

Shut it me. I know that. Still…

Petra tilted her head. "…It is seeming that you are, Professor. In Brigid, if a man is learning that a woman is having attraction, it would not be long before they are coupling."

Dorothea started to nod and then paused. "Um, I think you mean that they would be a couple, Petra."

The Brigid Princess shook her head. "I am having understanding of my words, Dorothea. I am meaning that they would be coupling. Be as one. Fu-"

Dorothea coughed. "While a bit… crude, Petra does have a point." She tilted her head and stared at me. "What's there to be so afraid of, Professor? I guess maybe your job… but have you_ seen_ Professor Manuela? She's been teaching here a lot longer than you, and I can assure you that she's made more than one pass at a student."

Before I could respond, Edelgard spoke up.

"That is enough, Dora."

Dorothea frowned. "Edie. You can't just-"

"My relationship with the professor is my business and mine alone." She shook her head and said, "I appreciate your support, but cajoling the professor for an answer or commitment is uncalled for."

"Delly, I-"

"Come with me, my teacher." Edelgard grabbed my hand and started walking. "I wish to speak with you. In private."

I didn't really have a chance to respond, but I decided to go along with it since it got me out of the awkward situation.

* * *

Edelgard stopped walking when we reached the far end of the fishing area, the wall on the opposite side from the green house.

It looked like I was cornered then.

When we reached it, Edelgard let go of my hand. After that, she leaned against the wall and looked at me without saying a word.

Eventually, I sighed and said, "Look Delly. I-"

"My teacher, I-"

I stopped and waved towards her. "No, you go ahead, Delly."

Edelgard shook her head. "I am fine. You can go first, my teacher."

I paused and then nodded. "Fine. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about what I said. I don't really think that you're shallow, nor do I want to diminish your-"

"Stop there."

I blinked.

Edelgard shook her head and said, "Perhaps I should go first after all, my teacher." She sighed and said, "I wish to apologize as well."

I frowned. "For what? You haven't done anything wrong."

"But I have." Edelgard looked up at the sky, at the overcast clouds and said, "Your precious support… forgive me for taking it as something more." She shook her head and looked down. "I did not stop to take into account your own emotions- no, I took them for granted."

Was it coincidence? The moment she spoke those words, the clouds suddenly parted, causing a beam of light to shine down on her.

Edelgard smiled, a soft and bittersweet expression.

When I saw that…

_"My teacher…"_

A different time. A different place. But the light was the same. The first rays of morning light, tracing out Edelgard's delicate features. But there, her eyes filled with regret and sorrow. Resignation.

The edge of dawn, marking her demise. _My_ path lying across her grave.

_Ba-dump._

I stared at her, and she stared at me.

_"I wanted… to walk with you…"_

The sound of a sword cutting through the air and then darkness.

My heart throbbed, painful, frantic.

I grabbed at it with my left hand and the vision faded. But her voice lingered in my ears.

"…for just a while longer." Edelgard lowered her eyes and said, "Forgive me for being selfish. But with my days so limited-"

"Shut up."

My heart was pounding, as if it wanted to tear out of my chest. No, as if it was splitting in half. Like the sword I heard had cut more than just air.

I forcibly lowered my left hand. For some reason, I felt like if I left it on my chest, the feeling of my heart tearing out wouldn't be just imaginary.

Edelgard looked up. "My teacher?"

I let out a deep breath and looked at her.

Beautiful, but fragile. A porcelain doll- no, a glass rose. Delicate and enchanting, but dangerous and deadly when damaged.

She already had cracks in her. Edelgard was already scarred before I met her… and now that scarring was physical. To stand by my side, she gave up everything. Abandoned her resolve, tossed aside her future.

I still didn't know _why_ she did that, but… did it matter?

Like how I answered Hubert, I understood the depth of her sacrifice- no, the depth of her feelings.

_You're being half-hearted._

Right. Half-hearted. That was how I was acting, how I felt. Only, in my case it was a bit more literal.

Edelgard's feeling were for Byleth. Her teacher. That… was only half of me. Because of that, I didn't want to disappoint her. After all, I wasn't as great as Byleth was. I didn't have his charisma, tactical mind, or resolve. Sure, I could fake it well enough, but I wasn't really 'Byleth'. Not completely.

Dorothea made a point. I was afraid of committing to anything. No, Sothis had pointed it out too, didn't she? That I was being half-hearted about my life here.

Saying I would support Edelgard but ignoring her feelings.

Saying I would save everyone but only focus on myself.

_Ba-dump._

My heart was racing, and my left arm ached.

I scowled and punched the wall with it. Unintentionally, that meant I was leaning towards Edelgard, almost pinning her beneath me.

Edelgard stared at me, her violet eyes lost and confused.

_Ba-dump._

So close like this, I finally realized just how small Edelgard was. A girl like that had been carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, had been walking a path paved with steel and blood to fix a world she thought broken. And yet, meeting me, she turned her back on that. On the ghosts that haunted her dreams.

_Ba-dump._

Not only that, but she was willing to throw even that away. So long as she could stay at my side, even as a student, she was satisfied.

That… made me angry.

A mess. I couldn't tell anymore whether it was me or Byleth's emotions I was feeling. No, at that point… it didn't matter.

"…Don't talk like you're going to disappear, Edelgard."

_Your path… lies across my grave. _

…I remembered.

The days we spent in the monastery. The long chats we had over tea where I fumbled around like an idiot trying to say the right thing. The laughs we shared over lunch. Her calm but stern words telling me to stand up after Jeralt's death.

And then… the paths we took that would never cross again.

"…I won't allow it. I won't allow you to die such a meaningless death. As long as I'm alive, as long as I can still move, I-"

I cut off my words. No, I couldn't say anything else. The emotions welling up inside me couldn't be voiced.

Edelgard gasped. "My teacher… you…" Her eyes peered into my own, searching. Hope and hesitation. Happiness and sorrow. "Could it be that you as well-"

A cough.

I flinched and stepped back.

Edelgard straightened and adjusted her cloak.

Claude scratched the back of his head and said, "Not that I've got anything against your scandalous rendezvous but… where do you want this stuff, Boss?" He gestured towards a wheelbarrow filled with meat and a disassembled grill.

Dammit Claude.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Darned Xfinity and their internet throttling... Wanted to get this out sooner, but couldn't get on all day.

Anyway, mostly slice of life stuff again, but ending on a more serious note. I... think? We'll be done with the party in the next chapter or so. Probably after we get all the lords together for a chat first. Curious to see how that's going to pan out, what with everyone remembering different things and our dear protagonist being from a different place entirely rather than just timeline.

Thanks as always for reading and leaving your input. I can't say it enough, but I'll try anyway. Thanks for everything.

I hope that this chapter was a good read and that things aren't too slow. Pacing is always a bit of a concern of mine... but I guess that's just inevitable with the fact that White Clouds spans pretty much a whole year.

...Huh. At this rate...

Well, we'll see how things go.

Once again, I hope you've enjoyed and I'll see you tomorrow. Not sure when, considering this accursed spotty internet, but it'll be before the day completely rolls over everywhere in the world at least.


	41. Making Vows

**Author's Note:**

FFN did the thing again. I tried to test to see if it's just not updating the date due to the length of the chapter or something, but I guess me updating every day before 24 hours roll over screws with the update count. Apologies for the confusion.

* * *

After Claude's abrupt arrival and setting up the other grill, there was plenty of food cooked and prepared for everyone to eat. Because of that, the students from all the houses sat down and started to dig in... minus the NPC extras, of course.

While a few students, like Bernadetta, Marianne, Lysithea, and Hubert were missing, pretty much everyone else was around.

Caspar and Raphael had settled in at the table right beside the grill, chowing down on meat and fish as if they were having a competition on who could eat the most.

Beside them, Ferdinand continued to man the grill. However, Lorenz had returned and was keeping Ferdinand company, musing about how unique an experience it was to cook like the commoners did.

Off to the side, around the pastries, Annette and Mercedes were chatting with Hilda about makeup and boys. I think I heard my name come up a few times, but Dimitri's and Claude's seemed to be more frequent.

At the far table, Ingrid had taken a seat with Ignatz, Dedue and Ashe. From what I could hear, they were talking about knighthood through the ages, as well as their favorite knights across time.

Dorothea and Petra grabbed a plate of food and went back to the pier to relax. They were followed by Sylvain, who was trying his best to flirt with the two young women. Unfortunately for him, his lines didn't work on Petra due to using too many metaphors. As for Dorothea, she was leading him along for fun and being the tease that she was all too good at playing.

Linhardt had mentioned something about having his time put to better use in the library, so he had left after grabbing a plate of food to go.

Leonie and Felix managed to get into a shouting match about who was better, so Manuela forced the two to work it out at the training grounds, dragging both students with her.

As for the three lords and myself…

"The lady of the hour!" Claude raised a cup filled with wine towards Edelgard. He smiled and said, "Glad that you're back on your feet after what happened. Would've been a shame to miss the chance to face you in the mock battle."

Edelgard took a sip from her own cup and said, "I am not so weak as to be felled by something like this, Claude." She gestured towards the black lines on her neck and said, "It may have reduced my strength by a margin, but I have more than enough left to handle you."

At Claude's insistence, we had moved a desk over away from the rest of the students for a private get together. With that, he'd pulled out a bottle of wine, some wooden cups, and a platter of steak for us to enjoy. In his words, 'the good stuff'.

I was seated on the side of the table with my back to the pond and Edelgard to my right.

Across from me sat Claude, swirling a bit of wine in his cup. To his left, and across from Edelgard, sat Dimitri.

The prince of Faerghus placed down a cut of the steak he was about to eat and said, "Are you certain, Edelgard? If you are not well, I am sure that the professors would not mind postponing the mock battle." He looked to me and said, "Is that not so, Byleth?"

Edelgard placed her cup on the table and frowned. "You will regret underestimating me and the Black Eagles, Dimitri. While I may be weakened, I am far from weak. Furthermore, even should the case be that I could not fight, it would hardly be fair to deny my house the opportunity to showcase their skills."

Dimitri shook his head. "My apologies, Edelgard. I did not intend to slight you or the Black Eagles."

"The princess has a point, you know?" Claude set down his cup and said, "I don't think some of my classmates would take very well to the mock battle being delayed. Lissy's been itching to show off her magic, and I'm sure that Leonie and Hilda can't wait for the chance to smack Boss here around a bit."

I downed a cup of wine and placed it on the table.

No buzz. Tch.

I shook my head and said, "They'll have their chance… but don't blame me if I rough them up a bit in turn."

Claude shrugged. "By all means, go for it. I'd love if you could get Hilda off my back. A few days in the infirmary might be worth it… and it'd be nice to have Leonie shut up for a bit about you and Captain Jeralt. She's a good girl and all, but…" He shook his head and took a sip from his cup.

I poured myself another cup of wine. It wouldn't help me calm down or anything since I couldn't get drunk, but it tasted good at least. Sweet and tangy. Probably out of consideration for Delly.

Dimitri frowned. "I would have expected you to cheer on your classmates, Claude, rather than wishing for their downfall."

"Hey, I'm a team player and all, Mitri, but there's only so much 'Captain Jeralt this' and 'Captain Jeralt that', or 'I'll show that damned pretty boy' a man can take, you know?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Is Leonie that bad?"

Claude shook his head. "Well… I might be exaggerating a bit, but it _has_ gotten worse since yesterday. I swear that girl's got a fetish for your dad or something. Even after so many years passed, she was still bringing him up, you know? I mean, I get the whole trying to live up to your master's name thing, but…"

Hm. Maybe I should get dad sometime and have a chat with her. Somehow, I felt like there was a big headache that would come up in the future if I didn't settle that sooner rather than later.

"Anyway." Claude looked to Dimitri and said, "If you're so worried about people not being able to fight, why aren't you concerned about our Professor Manuela, Dimitri? Or has the princess over there caught your eye as well?"

Dimitri flushed and said, "Nothing of the sort! I am simply concerned about my sister's well-being."

Claude paused. "Sister?"

Edelgard sighed. "Yes. Dimitri and I are step-siblings."

Claude stared at the two and shook his head. "I don't see it. But I guess that makes sense… would explain a lot of how awkward you two get."

I poured myself another cup of wine. Maybe Sothis was wrong and I could get drunk if I had enough? I mean, she'd been wrong before…

Edelgard nodded. "Yes… Dimitri has always been a bit too overprotective."

Dimitri frowned. "Is that not what an older brother should do?"

"You're only a few months older than me, Dimitri."

"It's half a year, El."

"The point is," Edelgard said. "I do not need your concern. While it is appreciated, it is a bit… smothering."

Claude nodded. "She's right, Mitri. Besides, if anyone's going to do the smothering to our princess here, it's going to be Boss. Right?"

I resisted the urge to spit out the mouthful of wine I had been drinking and carefully swallowed it.

"Claude!" Dimitri frowned. "Such a thing-"

"Easy, Mitri. Just joking around a bit." He smiled and glanced towards Edelgard. "You don't mind, do you, Princess?"

"…So long as you do not say something like that again."

"Sheesh. Tough crowd." Claude shook his head. "On a side note… I just realized something." He glanced towards Dimitri and said, "Isn't it convenient that the Blue Lions were the only house without any serious injuries in these past few days?" He kept his casual smile on, but Claude's eyes grew cold, calculating. "It's almost like they weren't targeted at all."

Edelgard paused and nodded. "That is true. It's quite… fortunate of them."

I decided to step in before anybody got too far out of line. "Well that just shows the teamwork in the Blue Lions, doesn't it? I'm pretty sure they're the only house that has been running proper drills based around working as a single unit."

Claude nodded and relaxed. "Oh yeah. I forgot about that… Professor Manuela did mention something about that in our last class. Well, before she got stabbed and all."

"While I cannot discount teamwork playing a major role," Dimitri said. "The truth is that we were fortunate to avoid injuries. Unlike those that Byleth and the Black Eagles faced, our foes were disoriented and scattered. As a result, it was a simple rout."

Claude raised his cup and said, "Hey man, don't belittle yourself. I've seen how you fight and, with the proper support, even I wouldn't dare face you in a fair fight."

Dimitri raised an eyebrow and poured himself some wine. "Should I take that as a confession that you'll resort to foul play, Claude?"

Claude shook his head. "I wouldn't dare. The mock battle is Boss's chance to shine, after all. Can't do that if I go around pulling schemes on everyone, right?"

"While I think I could get around it," I said. "I'd prefer not having any of my students collapsing from being poisoned or otherwise incapacitated before the battle begins, Claude."

Claude laughed. "You know me too well, Boss."

Edelgard took a sip from her cup and said, "Even were you to use such tactics, Claude, rest assured that the Black Eagles would remain victorious."

Claude cut himself a piece of steak and said, "Confident, are we?"

"No." Edelgard shook her head and then turned to look at me. "I simply have faith in our professor. After all, he easily repelled a platoon of adept mages with merely an iron bow and a full quiver."

"Oh yeah," Claude said. "Forgot about that." He looked to me and said, "Guess I'll finally have a chance to see you in action, Boss. I'll make sure not to underestimate you when we take to the field."

Dimitri nodded. "I, too, recall your skill in combat, Byleth. Rest assured, the Blue Lions will not underestimate you or the Black Eagles."

Despite saying it casually, I sensed confidence in both of their voices. The self-assurance that they wouldn't lose. Considering that both of them were definitely from the future…

I nodded in return and said, "In that case, I'll make sure to return the favor and take you seriously."

Edelgard frowned and turned towards me. "Do you lack confidence, my teacher? Because of me? If so, I assure you that I can fight just as well, if not better than I usually do." She shook her head and said, "While I may feel weak, my body is as strong as ever."

I didn't detect any falsehood in Edelgard's words. It made sense, actually. Since the Crest of Flames had gone berserk, it would have surely granted her some additional strength, similar to when a person turned into a demonic beast. Still…

"I don't doubt you, Edelgard," I said. "But it's poor form to underestimate your peers. Not only that, but even if you're strong, strength can only be tempered with wisdom."

That was a lesson I learned the hard way after reality smacked me in the face for developing my artificial crest. Power usually came at a cost, and even if it didn't, it would absolutely cause ripples. Ripples that resulted in consequences that you sometimes couldn't even begin to imagine, let alone anticipate.

Claude nodded. "You should listen to your dear professor, Princess. After all, he's the one with years of combat experience under his belt."

Edelgard frowned. "Do not patronize me, Claude. The same can be said for yourself."

"Oho?" Claude smiled. "You underestimate me, Princess. I assure you that I'm very experienced in leading troops." He took a bite from his steak and said, "While I can't go into details, I _can_ say that I've gone toe-to-toe with experienced armies before." He glanced at me and said, "I'm sure I can hold my own against Boss here for a little while."

Dimitri placed his right hand on his chin. "I see… I had failed to consider that fact. Being from outside of Fodlan, it is likely that Claude had experienced true battles in the past."

Claude nodded. "See? Your dear brother here gets it."

Edelgard frowned.

Dimitri shook his head and said, "Even if that is the case, Claude, I have confidence in my companions. I may be your lesser in tactics and scheming, but I am certain of the bonds and trust that have been built between me and my peers."

"That so?" Claude tilted his head towards Dimitri and said, "Well… guess we'll see about that soon, won't we?"

Edelgard shook her head. "Trusts and schemes both fail beneath skill. Something the Black Eagles possess in spades courtesy of our professor." Her eyes narrowed. "While you may believe me lacking in experience on the battlefield, there will be a terrible shock if you underestimate me."

The three lords were at a standstill. While there was still a casual atmosphere with the lively conversation in the background, there was an odd tension in the air now.

I raised my cup and said, "Relax, guys. Regardless of how the mock battle turns out, it's all in good fun. We'll be working together in the future, so you shouldn't take it too seriously."

Edelgard relaxed and nodded. "You are right, my teacher." She took a sip from her cup and then shook her head. "Forgive me. I suppose my competitive streak came out."

Claude took a sip from his cup as well and said, "Boss has a point. This is more like a practical exercise to get a read on everyone for when we team up in the future."

Dimitri sighed. "Thank goodness. I dread even the thought that we would cross blades in the future."

"That won't happen." I set down my cup and said, "While I can't guarantee war won't break out… I can assure you that you three will never face each other across the battlefield while I live."

Claude raised an eyebrow and said, "That's a bold claim there, Boss."

"Bold or not, I'll ensure it. Even if this body of mine breaks down, and even if I have to beat sense into all of you myself, while I'm alive you three aren't going to war against each other."

Dimitri frowned. "Force is not the proper way to resolve such a situation, Byleth. Furthermore… should such a scenario occur, I cannot accept the fact that you would face us alone. Should war come to pass, be assured that I, at least, will stand at your side."

Edelgard gave me a stern look and said, "My teacher. You already know that I will never stand against you. Why even bring such a scenario up?"

I swirled the wine in my cup and said, "I'm just saying. Not that I want it to happen… but if it does, you know where I stand."

Dimitri shook his head. "In that case… rest assured. While I live, Faerghus shall not attack the other territories."

Edelgard nodded. "You already know where I stand, my teacher."

The two lords looked at Claude.

He held up his hands. "Hey, I'm not going to go out of my way to fight anyone. The only reason I'd have to go to war in the first place would be if one of you guys tried invading the Leicester Alliance. But since that's obviously not happening, you can count on me being at least neutral."

Edelgard sighed. "I suppose that is as close to a promise as we'll get from you."

Claude shrugged, a smile on his face.

The mood lightened up after that, a comfortable silence filling the air between us.

Eventually, Claude smirked and shook his head. "Look at us." He held up his cup and said, "Who would've thought? The future leaders of Fodlan sitting here peacefully and enjoying a meal…"

Dimitri shook his head. "You are exaggerating, Claude. Why would it not be peaceful between us?"

Edelgard nodded. "That's right. There's no reason for us not to cooperate."

Claude's eyes widened a bit at hearing Edelgard and then he laughed. "You've really mellowed out, Princess."

Edelgard huffed. "I am as I always have been. It's simply you who's not noticed, Claude."

Claude shook his head and then looked at me. "You've gotta teach me your secrets, Boss. No, tell me honestly. Did you and the princess… you know?" He made a gesture with his hands.

Edelgard flushed and said, "C-Claude! What are you insinuating?"

"Hey! Ever since we've met, it was like you had a stick up your a-"

Dimitri coughed. "It's rude to insinuate such things of a maiden, Claude."

Edelgard nodded and said, "Thank you, Dimitri."

Dimitri glanced at Edelgard and me. Then he said, "Even if they may be true."

Edelgard stood up and said, "Dima! Do I need to teach you another lesson?"

Dimitri laughed and then paused. "…What did you call me?"

Claude's eyes twinkled. He glanced between Edelgard and Dimitri and said, "Ooh, I smell a love triangle."

I mournfully stared at my cup. The entire time I'd been pouring myself drinks from the bottle, but I had nothing. Not a buzz, not even a slight relaxing feeling. With the headache I was getting from the lords interacting, I'd hoped to feel _something_ by now… but if anything, it seemed like they were the ones getting tipsy.

I shook my head and said, "Stop teasing her, Claude. You know how easy Edelgard is to rile up."

Edelgard flushed and poked my arm. "I am not an easy woman, my teacher!"

I stared at Claude and said, "See what I mean? And that's not what I said, Edelgard."

"Ah." Edelgard shook her head. "Then… forgive me."

Claude shrugged and said, "Fine, fine. Though…" He gave me a sly grin and said, 'You never denied doing it with the princess."

Edelgard's already red face turned a deep scarlet and she said, "N-nothing of the sort has happened between us!"

I nodded. "Yeah. I'm sure Edelgard hasn't even thought about taking things that far."

Claude raised an eyebrow and said, "You sure about that, Boss?" He reached into his shirt and pulled out a book.

From what I could see, the book was titled _Monarch Studies_.

I frowned. "What does studying to be a monarch have to do with-"

Edelgard blanched and lunged across the table, knocking over the steak and cups to the ground. "G-Give that back!"

Claude stood up and held the book above his head. "No can do, Princess."

Edelgard straightened and walked around the table, jumping to try and grab the book from Claude. Unfortunately, she was just a bit too short and couldn't reach it. "That is private property! Return it at once!"

I felt a headache coming on. Maybe this party was a bad idea…

Dimitri tilted his head, watching Edelgard and Claude, and then said, "Mind if I take a look at that?" He gestured towards the book.

Edelgard turned to Dimitri and said, "Dima, no!"

Claude shrugged. "Sure, Mitri. Catch." After that, he tossed the book over towards Dimitri.

Edelgard's eyes widened and she jumped, trying to catch it. But it was just a bit too far over her head to reach, slipping just past her fingertips.

As the book flew, its pages rippled, fluttering in the air.

By virtue of my eyes, I managed to clearly see each and every page of the book as it passed by. What I saw… well, I decided it would be better for both me and Delly if I forgot all about it so I pushed it out of my mind.

It was _definitely_ not a monarch studies book though. Unless Edelgard was trying to replicate a certain female Roman Emperor that was a bit too secure in her own sexuality and form.

I grabbed the book before it reached Dimitri and tucked it under my arm, making care not to let any of the pages be shown. "This job is stressful enough, alright? Stop acting like children."

Claude laced his hands around his head and said, "Aw come on, Boss. Don't tell me you're not the least bit curious about how the princess feels about you."

"I know full well how she feels." I paused and then added, "About me. Not how she feels, but how she feels about me."

Couldn't let Claude have any more ammo to use against Edelgard. From my princess's red face, it looked like she was about one joke away from fainting.

I shook my head and walked over to Edelgard, placing the book in her hands. "Here. Make sure to stop losing things, alright?"

"But I didn't…" Edelgard sighed. "Understood, my teacher." After that, she turned to glare at Claude.

He laughed.

* * *

The party continued until late into the evening. Good food, good drinks, and pleasant company. But eventually, all things had to come to an end.

After everyone helped clean up and move the desks back to the Black Eagles classroom, the students turned in for the night. Everyone, that was, except for Edelgard.

Since I still had to close up the classroom and make sure everything was in its proper place, she decided to stay behind and keep me company.

The clouds had regrouped over the course of the day. With nightfall, that meant there was only a sliver of moonlight to see by.

I gave the classroom one last sweep to make sure everything was back in place, as well as making sure there weren't any stray pieces of food anywhere, and then closed the door behind me, locking it shut.

Edelgard was leaning against the wall next to the door on the outside of the classroom. When I stepped out, she turned towards me and said, "Everything settled, Byleth?"

I nodded and placed the key in my pocket. "Should be good to go for tomorrow."

"That's good."

I stared at Edelgard.

It was dark, but the moonlight reflected off her skin, giving her an ethereal presence, like a fairy from another world.

She tilted her head and said, "Is something the matter?"

I shook my head. "No. Just… did you have fun, Delly?"

Edelgard smiled. "Of course I did, Byleth. Being able to spend a peaceful day like this with everyone… I could not thank you enough."

I walked over to lean against the wall to the left of Edelgard and said, "I'm glad. It was nice to have everyone just relax and act like normal people for once."

Edelgard nodded. "I agree… though I could have gone without the teasing from Claude." She frowned and turned towards me. "You're supposed to support me, my teacher. Is there a reason why you didn't stop Claude?"

"Well… first of all, you're adorable when you're embarrassed."

Edelgard immediately blushed and averted her gaze. "That's mean."

"Second of all… do you honestly think I can stop Claude from trolling- I mean, from teasing people?"

I could only get away from Claude was because he was a bit wary of me and because I didn't get riled up. Stopping him... well, the fact that Hilda apparently could was a miracle in itself.

"Besides," I said. "At least he knows where to draw the line. It's a bit mean-spirited at times, but he always stops at just embarrassing people."

After all, he could have shown what was in Edelgard's book instead of just implying it.

Edelgard frowned. "…I suppose you have a point."

A comfortable silence emerged between us.

I took the time to look up at the sky. It was still overcast, but in addition to that… "It looks like it's going to rain tomorrow."

Edelgard stared at the sky as well. "It appears so." She lowered her gaze and said, "I hope you didn't have another field trip in mind, my teacher."

I scoffed. "After what happened the last few times, I think it's best we just have a regular lecture day."

Edelgard shifted, making herself more comfortable against the wall, and said, "What do you have in mind?"

I paused. "Well… we probably can't do much more before the mock battle. A few days' worth of effort can only result in so much progress and might actually be detrimental."

It was like trying to cram before a test. Sure, some people might be able to do it, but most people would blank out as a result under the pressure and information overload.

While I didn't think any of the people I selected for the mock battle would have that issue, it was better safe than sorry.

"I see. Then will you begin the proper lessons early?"

I nodded. "That's what I'm thinking. Maybe something about the general flow of individual combat before transitioning into battalions next week."

I'd given specific pointers to each of my students, but it'd be good to clear up the general concepts at once for everybody. Also, with Clark and Diane set to arrive this weekend, I'd have some help with teaching battalions and authority. Like that, things should work out well enough for me to sort through the rest of Hanneman's notes to form a proper year-long lesson plan.

"In that case, I'll be looking forward to it."

Another silence fell between us. In that time, a soft breeze blew past, sending a few strands of Edelgard's hair fluttering. She frowned and tucked the stray strands back into place with her left hand.

Seeing that, I couldn't help but be reminded just how beautiful she was. The fact that her beauty was marred by black lines…

Wait.

I pushed myself off the wall and walked around to face Edelgard. After that, I reached out with my right hand and brushed her left cheek.

Edelgard blushed. "B-Byleth? What are you doing?"

"…They've spread."

The black lines that had just been along her neck. Now that I looked closely, I could see that they had begun to creep up along her face. They were still thin, barely noticeable, but against her pale skin and to my eyes, they might as well have been painted over in neon light.

"…Ah," Edelgard said. "So they have."

Cold. Her skin felt like glacial snow. Soft and delicate, but biting to the touch.

I traced out the thin lines and frowned. "Does it hurt?"

Edelgard shook her head. "It doesn't hurt. Only…"

"Only?"

"…It's cold."

My frown deepened and I started to pull my hand back. Before I could, Edelgard reached up and grabbed it, leaning her head against it.

"Delly?"

Edelgard shook her head. "Could you stay like this for a moment? Your hand… it's warm."

It was a bit awkward, but I nodded and waited.

After a while, Edelgard lowered my hand, a relaxed smile on her face. "Thank you, Byleth."

"No problem, Delly."

"Delly…" Edelgard muttered. "Such a silly name."

I frowned. "Does it still bother you?"

"I must admit that it is rather embarrassing… but if I must be honest, I also quite like it." Edelgard muttered the name again and then said, "Delly… I've never been called by that. Such a ridiculous and childish name… Quite frankly, I should be offended. Me, the future Adrestrian Emperor, called by such a childish name like that… and yet. Yet, if it's from you, I don't mind."

"Well, I could always call you El if it bothers you so much."

Edelgard shook her head. "No. Delly… Delly is fine. With you… with you, I am not the future Adrestrian Emperor, Edelgard von Hresvelg. Nor am I the childish young girl El, who lost her way long ago. With you… I'm just Delly." She smiled and said, "A young woman in love."

I froze. While I already knew how she felt, hearing her say it so clearly…

Edelgard tilted her head. "Does it bother you, Byleth? Me saying this so bluntly?"

I shook my head. "No. I already knew. It's just… odd to hear."

Edelgard nodded. "I suspected as much. Someone as insightful as you… no, I suppose with how I have been acting, even Caspar would have realized it."

"I don't know about that. Caspar seems pretty dense… even if someone like Hilda walked up to him and invited him back to her room, Caspar would probably just think they were going to have some tea or something."

Edelgard giggled. It was an awkward sound, a bit hesitant and off-pitch. But it was pure, genuine.

I smiled.

Edelgard nodded and said, "Caspar has always been a bit dense when it comes to women." She shook her head and said, "You would not believe the number of arranged matches Count Bergliez has had to renegotiate because Caspar accidentally spurned his suitors."

"I can see that… And it'll be fun when the ball comes around to see how many times he messes up there."

"The ball," Edelgard muttered. "Yes, that will be fun." She smiled and said, "We can sit back and watch Ferdinand trip over himself trying to invite Dorothea out for a dance."

I laughed. "More like we get to see how Dimitri gets out of all the girls that'll want to invite him up to the Goddess Tower."

Edelgard smiled. "Dima always has been a bit too polite for his own good… If not for the fact that he had me as a dancing partner back in Faerghus, he may have suffered quite a bit- no. Considering how poor a dancer he was, I suppose his partners would have suffered." She sighed. "I remember I did."

I smiled. "It's part of his charm though, isn't it?"

"I agree. And it's nice to see him like that." Edelgard frowned. "In all honesty, I thought that he would have been hardened and even a bit spiteful of me after the Tragedy of Duscur… but he's surprisingly carefree."

"Well, Dimitri's stronger than he looks. Might need a push here or there to get him going, but when he gets back on his feet, everything turns out well."

Edelgard shook her head. "That's only possible because he has people to stand by him." She sighed and looked up. "Dima always possessed that charm. Even back in Faerghus, he was surrounded by friends. In comparison, I was all alone… up until the very end."

Hearing her speak like that reminded me. Edelgard… shouldn't remember anything concrete about her time in Faerghus, right?

"…I thought you forgot? Dimitri mentioned that you didn't recognize him when you met each other here at the academy."

Edelgard nodded. "That's true. I didn't remember anything until recently. There have been… many things on my mind. Painful memories that obscured the good memories. But…" She turned to look at me and said, "Now that you're here, my teacher, I can face them head on. The good, the bad… the happy and the sorrowful." She smiled. "Without you, I might have the strength to move forward without looking back. But with you… I have the courage to not only advance, but to accept what was in the past and let the ghosts rest."

I shook my head. "That… you place too much credit in me, Delly. And too little in yourself. It takes a lot to give up what you've already put years of work into and walk a different path."

"That may be true… but it was you who gave me a second chance. Who showed me that it wasn't the only path I could take." Edelgard shook her head and stared at the sky. "…Most people never realize that until their very end."

I remembered Edelgard's death. The regret in her eyes, the sorrow and unfulfilled plea.

At the same time… I wondered.

"Delly."

She lowered her gaze towards me. "Yes, Byleth?"

I stared at her and said, "Tell me honestly. Why did you choose me? Why did you give up on everything you've worked for in the past decade?"

Edelgard smiled, a serene expression without any regrets. "Isn't it obvious? I have faith in you, Byleth."

"But why?" I shook my head. "Because I'm skilled? Because I know what's going on behind the scenes? Or is it because I'm the incarnation of the Progenitor Goddess?"

"None of that."

"Then… why?"

I didn't get it. It just… didn't make sense. Even if there was some sort of bond between her and Byleth that I inherited… Edelgard wasn't the type of person to just throw away her ambition. Especially if she was like the others and time traveled back to this time. If anything, she would be even more determined to see her path through to the end.

Edelgard tilted her head and looked into my eyes, as if it was obvious, and said, "Because you are you."

I blinked. "Because I'm… me?"

Edelgard nodded and then said, "You… remember, don't you, my teacher?"

I froze.

Edelgard continued, her voice soft and vulnerable. "The blood-stained path I walked. The monsters I allowed to slither among the Empire… The friends I sacrificed for the greater good."

I shook my head. "I don't know what you're talking about, Delly."

Edelgard laughed and said, "Hubert was right."

"What?"

Edelgard smiled. "You might have an excellent mask to hide your emotions, my teacher, but it is simple to tell when you are lying. Not easy, I assure you, especially as you so rarely do. However… it appears that you are unable to hide it whenever you speak about us."

"I… honestly don't know what you're talking about."

"Again, you're lying." Edelgard reached up with her right hand and placed it on my cheek.

I flinched at how cold it was, but continued to look at Edelgard.

She shook her head and said, "You keep a stern face, but when it comes to us… when you lie to us. That stony expression cracks, just a little. For a brief moment, your emotions spill forth."

That…

"Like now." Edelgard sighed. "Because of that… how could I not have faith in you? Your sincerity, your concern, the unwavering faith you have in me… the fact that you chose me all over again despite knowing all that I have done… all that I will do."

I didn't speak. What could I say to something like that?

Edelgard's violet eyes blurred, unshed tears forming beneath her gaze. "That you would trust this accursed tyrant even knowing how blood-stained her hands are… that you would forgive her sins..." She took a deep breath and smiled, an expression with countless emotions. "Knowing that… how can I not have faith in you? How can I not love you, the one who would reach out your hand to a monster like me?"

My eyes widened. When I heard those words… I realized it.

I was wrong.

I thought Edelgard was like Claude and Dimitri.

I had believed that she was like the other lords, returning from a variation of her canon route. Like how Dimitri seemed to come from Azure Moon and Claude from Verdant Wind. But for Edelgard… that was impossible.

In Crimson Flower, Byleth lost all of their powers. The Crest Stone had vanished, and they didn't possess the powers of the Progenitor Goddess. No, not only them, but no one did. Thus, it would have been impossible for an Edelgard from that time to return.

However… however there was a way for Edelgard to remember the future.

If the pattern of the lords coming back in time from routes where Byleth had chosen their house proved true, then this Edelgard… my Edelgard came from-

While I was reeling, Edelgard gently grabbed my hand and placed it over her chest.

"Can you feel it, my teacher? This heart of mine… this life of mine."

A soft rhythm, quiet but firm. And, unlike the rest of her body, it was warm. Like a smoldering flame.

Edelgard looked up at me, tears streaming down her face. "This… all of this. For me, it is already more than I deserve. A dream that I dare not believe is reality."

I shook my head. "This isn't a dream, Delly."

"Is it not?" She shook her head and lowered my hand. "Everyone is alive and well. My dear friends that I had abandoned stand once more at my side. Dimitri, no longer driven mad with vengeance but even seeing me as his dear sister El…" Edelgard looked up at me, her eyes searching, pleading. "Tell me, my teacher… if this is not a dream, what is it? Heaven?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Your vision of heaven includes Claude teasing you about your relationships and making lewd jokes?"

Edelgard laughed. "Then perhaps this is hell. Either way…" Her expression dimmed. "I know already. This… will not last." She trailed off and lowered her gaze.

_Ba-dump._

I raised my right hand and lifted her chin up. "This isn't a dream."

My heart was racing. Was it me, or… no. Whatever the case, the emotions I had were real.

Edelgard stared at me, tears marring her face. "It isn't? This… is real?"

I nodded.

She shook her head. "I don't believe you."

"Then… how do I convince you?"

_Ba-dump._

Edelgard stared at me and bit her lip. After a while, she seemed to have resolved herself and she said, "Close your eyes."

_Ba-dump._

"Is that necessary?"

Edelgard shifted her gaze and said, "J-Just do it."

"Alright."

I closed my eyes.

Quiet, dark. For a while, I saw nothing and heard nothing.

But then I felt something cold on the back of my neck. A pair of soft hands, as if sculpted from ice gently resting against me. After that…

I opened my eyes to see Edelgard squirming against the wall. She glanced at me and then looked away, her face a deep red. Still, she looked happy.

"Delly?"

"Y-You've convinced me, my dearest Byleth."

I blinked, still a bit dazed. "Wait, what-"

"H-Have a good night!"

Before I could say anything, Edelgard ran away into the dark.

Shocked, I touched my lips with my right hand, remembering the soft sensation as well as the taste.

"Sweet…"

My heart pounded in my chest. An odd sensation that shouldn't be happening, but one that was clearly not my imagination.

In spite of that, I couldn't help but smile.

And then that smile faded when I remembered.

A year. That was the limit placed on Edelgard. On the time I had left to spend with her. No… it could be even less.

I lowered my hand, clenching it into a fist. "I won't let Edelgard die."

_Ba-dump._

A heartbeat. No… now that I listened closely, I realized that it was different. It wasn't just a single heartbeat, but two, echoing each other.

Determination. Resolve… it wasn't just 'me' who refused to allow Edelgard to die.

Byleth, you too…

"I am glad to hear that, Professor."

A cold voice cut through the night air.

My eyes widened and I turned towards it.

Hubert limped towards me, clutching something in his bloody right hand. "It would have been a pity to have to kill you after you accepted Lady Edelgard's feelings."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

To be honest, I felt like splitting this chapter and uploading half tomorrow, but that'd be disingenuous. Instead, you got the chapter in its full glory.

Obviously, the main highlight in this chapter was the scene between Byleth and Edelgard. I wonder how many of you figured out that Delly was from Silver Snow? I laid out a few hints about it, but I wonder if it was clear enough. I'm curious about how that went over.

I'll have to say the inspiration for having Byleth's heart race regarding Edelgard partially came from GirthJohnson's _Love in the Dark_ and how Byleth in that story started to hear his heartbeat when his feelings about Edelgard were becoming clear. You could already hear Byleth's heart race in the game when making major decisions regarding Edelgard, but when I read GirthJohnson's latest chapter, I felt that his portrayal was a good way to illustrate it.

However, I wonder how many caught the fact that Byleth was hearing an echoed heartbeat? There's a reason why it's _Ba-dump _and not _thump_...

Other than that... I think that's all? Next chapter, we'll finally get to Friday (4/25)! After that, we also see our first free day at last and hop back on the rails of the story... probably. Maybe? We'll find out when we get there, as always.

I hope this chapter was enjoyable to read. I had a blast writing it... and was also honestly shocked at how vulnerable Edelgard was regarding Byleth when I wrote the scene. I can only hope I conveyed how I felt writing that over to you who read it.

As always, thanks for reading and leaving any input. I greatly appreciate it all, and I'll see you tomorrow.


	42. Dark Seal

**Author's Notes:**

Friendly reminder to read the previous chapter if you haven't since FFN doesn't like me updating more than once in 24 hours.

* * *

"Hubert?" I shook my head and then gave him a once over.

The gloomy young man seemed even ghastly than usual. His already pale skin was downright ghostly, a white almost as pale as the moon. But more than that, his uniform was stained with blood, something that continued to drip down his right arm.

He also wasn't alone. I hadn't noticed at first due to Hubert's startling appearance, but there was someone standing next to him.

A man with long blonde hair tied in a ponytail. His bangs were long as well, but parted into long strands that framed his face. He wore a white mask that obscured most of his features. Yet, while I hadn't met him personally before now, I recognized him.

"And Professor Jeritza I see…"

I shifted my gaze to Jeritza's outfit.

Like in the game, he wore an iron pauldron over his right shoulder and beige tunic over dark clothing. A sword was sheathed at his right side on a belt.

But unlike his appearance in the game, that tunic was stained with blood, splattered like the patterns in murder scenes from horror movies.

"…Long night?"

"Heh." Hubert shook his head. "That is quite the understatement, Professor. But I suppose it is true."

"Mind telling me what happened to you? Or should I just pretend I didn't see you two and leave you on your way?"

"That would be rude, Professor, considering all the effort I took to bring this to you." Hubert limped over and raised his right hand. As he did, I saw that his arm was completely mangled. Entire swathes of skin were torn out, as if ripped apart by a monster. While they were healing, probably with judicious applications of vulneraries and concoctions, it would definitely leave a scar.

I frowned.

"Well, go on." Hubert shifted his hand. "Take it."

I shook my head. "We should get you some treatment first, Hubert. If Edelgard sees you like this-"

"I can assure you that I am quite versed in treating my injuries, Professor. While the concern is touching, the longer you refrain from accepting this gift, the closer I inch towards death. Unless you would prefer that?"

I sighed. "You know, most people would mistake your sarcasm for sincerity, Hubert."

"Then I am fortunate that you understand my unique sense of humor, Professor." Hubert smiled, though it was somewhat strained.

It seemed like his injuries were deeper than he let on.

Still, he had a point. I didn't know any potent recovery magic, and I'd exhausted my supply of vulneraries. As capable as Hubert was, he probably wasn't lying about being able to treat himself, so the best thing I could do was get this over with.

I walked over and accepted the blood-stained thing Hubert was offering. When I did, I saw that it was a brass charm. The mystery item was a metal cage wrapping around a curiously suspended crimson orb.

I wondered what it was, but decided there was a more important question to ask. "What happened to you, Hubert? I thought you were just going to head out and enjoy yourself in the party, not stick your hand in a meat grinder."

"Heh. You should see the other person, Professor."

I froze. Hubert was making a joke.

I blinked and narrowed my eyes, carefully examining him. "Are you delirious? Did you lose too much blood in your little excursion?"

Hubert shook his head. "I figured I would lighten the mood. It would be a pity for the tender atmosphere left behind by Lady Edelgard to be ruined by my presence."

"Hubert."

He sighed. "Very well, Professor… I am fine. While my wounds are quite severe, I will live, courtesy of some dark magic skills and magical supplements, of course."

I glanced over at Jeritza.

"What?" He shook his head. "Whether he dies or lives has nothing to do with me." Jeritza paused and stared at me. "However, you… you appear worthy. We should duel sometime, you and I. See whose blade will sever the other's neck."

…Huh. That should have been intimidating, considering who he really was. Yet it was just kinda… edgy? Like a teenager putting on airs.

Hubert stared at me and said, "I will explain this but once, so listen closely, Professor."

"…Alright."

Hubert gestured towards the thing in my hands. "That is a Dark Seal. A creation of eldritch technology by Lady Edelgard's fated enemies who slither in the dark. On my little… excursion, shall we say, I stopped by Enbarr to tie up loose ends and confirm information. What you hold now is a something I picked up on my return trip."

I shook my head.

Hubert made it sound like he went to go pick flowers or something. Judging by the appearance of the two though, it looked like they'd gone through a tough fight. And I doubted that Hubert just happened to pick this seal up on his way back.

I raised the trinket and said, "This is a Dark Seal?" It seemed so innocent for something supposedly holding the knowledge of the Agarthans within.

Hubert nodded. "It is." He turned his head towards Jeritza and said, "And you are dismissed now."

Jeritza shook his head. "I do not take orders from you. Moreover… you." He turned to look at me. "I heard from Mer- from one of the students that there were sweets in Lady Edelgard's celebration. Tell me, are there any remaining?"

Hubert's eyes widened and he stared at Jeritza. "Of all the things, you ask that now, Jeritza?"

The tall fencing instructor slowly shook his head and said, "The Death Knight is satisfied with the hunt… but I am not. Moreover, we have been gone all day." He frowned. "Today was supposed to be Peach Sorbet. I have… much disappointment at missing it."

"That…" Hubert sighed and waved his hand towards me. "I don't suppose you have something, Professor?"

I blinked at the sudden mood whiplash. Tall, edgy Jeritza upset about missing a frozen desert and now asking me of all people for sweets? Right after suggesting we kill each other?

"Um… here?"

I decided not to question it, both for my sanity and safety. Instead, I reached into my shirt and pulled out a few wax-wrapped hard candies. Those were meant for Bernie, but considering she'd probably swear off sugar for a while after her crash, it'd be a better use here.

In a flash, Jeritza grabbed the sweets from my hand, eyeing them beneath the light of the moon. "Wrapped hard candies… how novel." He smiled and nodded at me. "Good evening to you, Professor. Hubert."

With those words, Jeritza turned around and walked away, vanishing into the night.

Hubert let out a long sigh and shook his head. "That man… he is useful but his eccentricities… no. I suppose the strongest are all prone to a few… quirks."

I shook my head and then reexamined the Dark Seal.

It was so small, innocuous.

"Did you really go all the way to Enbarr to pick this up, Hubert?"

He shook his head. "I already told you, Professor. I was simply tying up… or rather, severing a few loose ends. That I could obtain one when I intended to find one for you to research was a serendipitous occasion. But moreover…" Hubert focused, all traces of levity gone from his face. "I can confirm that the Emperor… that Lady Edelgard's father has indeed perished. Furthermore, Lord Arundel has taken the reigns."

I frowned and pocketed the Dark Seal. "Considering that guy's true identity…. That is not good."

Hubert nodded. "Indeed." He smirked and said, "The Regent Emperor was none too excited about hearing that his niece was cutting ties with him. You, Professor, will no doubt be under heavy scrutiny and pressure in the near future. After all, you and you alone are the reason for Lady Edelgard's decision."

I shook my head. "They can do all they want to me. But the moment they try to harm any of my students… well, I'm not called the Ashen Demon just for show."

I had no qualms about killing people that went after my students… and especially if they had the bright idea of trying to get rid of Delly.

_Ba-dump_.

The mere thought of that sent a thrum of power through my left arm.

…They hadn't seen me desperate yet.

They wouldn't want to see me desperate.

The only reason I had to be here was my students… was Delly. If that was gone…

Hubert sighed.

I blinked. Hubert wasn't one to randomly sigh.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing. I am merely… relieved."

"Relieved?"

Hubert shook his head. "Out of respect for your sincerity and devotion towards my liege, I will say this plainly." He stared at me, his gaze steady and filled with strength, despite his wounds. "Lady Edelgard is my world. However… I am aware that I am not the proper person to be around her."

So he was aware of that fact… no. Even in the game, he was aware of it. Like Ferdinand, he was trying to do what was best for Edelgard. However, he couldn't bring himself to dissuade her. Instead, he tried his best to make any wrongs into rights. Turning evil into good.

Hubert shook his head. "I can only pave her path, follow behind Lady Edelgard to her destination, be it for better or worse. That you are here for her to lean on… that Lady Edelgard has a proper means of support… I suppose that provides just the slightest bit of relief."

I nodded. "That was a matter of course. There was no way I was about to let Edelgard suffer through that by herself."

"…Naïve. But sincere, as always… I suppose that is why I can entrust Lady Edelgard's future to you." He sighed. "I will be honest, Professor. My own abilities are… insufficient. Though I may have delayed Lady Edelgard's imminent demise, the spell our enemies used on her is insidious. Not only has it caused her Crest to go berserk, but it has tied her very life to her powers. The more Lady Edelgard fights, the stronger she will become, however-"

"…The less time she has."

Hubert nodded.

"So that's why you went through all of that effort to get me this, huh?" I took out the Dark Seal again and examined it.

"Correct." Hubert paused and said, "I cannot begin to fathom how you are aware of our secrets, nor of how many you hide yourself. But I do not care. All that matters is that you are willing to stand by and save Lady Edelgard. To that end… I shall trust you."

I nodded. "I won't let you down."

"It would be in your best interests not to. There is a reason why Lady Edelgard has managed to retain a degree of autonomy all these years despite the long reach of our foes." Hubert smiled, a ghastly expression. "It would be most unfortunate for you to experience that."

"Don't worry." I pocketed the Dark Seal and nodded. "Delly means as much to me as she does to you… maybe more. I won't let those bastards get their way- no, even if Fate or Death itself emerges, I'll ensure she lives."

"Bold words, Professor. I pray that they are never tested." Hubert shook his head and limped off. "Good night, Professor. I will see you tomorrow morning… and do take care to keep this tete a tete to yourself."

"…Do you need help getting back, Hubert?"

"I will be fine." He pulled out an elixir from beneath his shirt and said, "I came well prepared."

I watched him leave, making sure that he didn't collapse. After seeing him successfully make it back into the main building, I decided to head back to my room.

Now… it was a race against the clock.

* * *

When I entered my room, the first thing I noticed was Sothis sitting on my bed. She wore her usual attire, an elaborate blue dress with golden ribbons that, quite frankly, was now a bit too tight on her body and more than a bit revealing. However, more importantly, she was holding a glowing orb in her left hand, revolving with countless golden glyphs.

I locked the door behind me and then walked over, placing my suit jacket on the desk.

Sothis didn't notice me. The goddess's beautiful face was scrunched in concentration, her brows furrowed as her emerald eyes peered into the depths of the glowing orb she held.

Curious, I looked over to see what she was staring at.

Like I immediately saw, it was an orb of light surrounded with golden glyphs. Yet, what I didn't see at first was that there was the silhouette of a person inside of it. Not very defined, and ambiguous enough to be either male or female, but it was there. And, as time passed, I saw that it was slowly gaining definition.

…What are you working on Sothis?

"Eep!" Sothis flinched and instantly dismissed the orb. "Nothing! Nothing at all!"

Well, that's not suspicious.

She nodded. "Absolutely. Nothing suspicious at all. Perfectly normal."

…Right, so about that-

"How was your outing with the little ones? Did you enjoy yourselves? I noticed the shy one and the arrogant ones baking earlier. Were the sweets well prepared?"

I narrowed my eyes.

Sothis shifted on my bed, avoiding my gaze.

Again, suspicious. You aren't hiding anything important from me, are you?

"Not at all! This… it is just a tad embarrassing to bring up, you see…"

Hm. Well, alright.

I walked over to my desk and pulled out the chair to sit down. After that, I looked at Sothis.

It was odd. Maybe since I had resolved my feeling about Edelgard, but Sothis's beauty didn't seem that distracting anymore. While I could see that she was objectively beautiful… it was more like having a cute little sister than anything else.

Sothis huffed and crossed her arms. "Comparing my beauty to a mere mortal? I should be insulted… though I cannot disagree that your princess is quite fair. Such a delicate beauty… you are most fortunate to have her love."

_Ba-dump._

"Hoh?" Sothis grinned. "Your heart is racing… Does that mean you and the princess finally took the next step? No, you finally admitted it to yourself?"

I shifted in my seat.

"You should be more honest with yourself." Sothis smiled and crossed her legs. "It was only a matter of time, after all. You two were dancing around each other _forever_. It was clear to anybody watching."

It's awkward, alright? It's still weird admitting it, even to myself.

Sothis rolled her eyes. "Just embrace it already. This is your life, Byleth. Even if you might think it strange or undeserved, you are living it. Furthermore… I believe your father will be quite thrilled to hear the news."

"Wait, what?"

Sothis fiddled with her nails and said, "Your father _is_ getting older. While we were talking about the future, he made it quite clear that he would like to see some grandchildren before he passes. Well, not that it would be any time soon considering his Crest, but…"

Dad. Grandkids. …Me?

My brain shorted out.

Sothis laughed, a musical sound like the chiming of silver bells. After that, she leaned forward and said, "Tell me, how did she taste? Sweet?"

My cheeks warmed. I frowned and reached over to grab my jacket.

"Oh come now, Byleth. Surely you can tell-"

I whipped my arm and tossed it at Sothis's face.

She laughed and grabbed it in the air before tossing it around her shoulders, causing the bed to creak a little.

"Well, I suppose you had fun at least." Sothis smiled. "I am glad to see that."

I sighed. It looked like she was done teasing me now, so I decided to get to business.

What have you been up to?

Sothis moved a few pillows behind her to prop herself up. After that, she leaned against them and said, "I have been pondering ways to aid you. With the Divine Pulse being relegated to a final resort, I wondered if there was another means through which I could be of use." She sighed. "As things stand, I am of as much help as the gods in your world."

In other words… only moral support?

Sothis tossed a pillow at me. "Could you not put it so bluntly?!"

I grabbed the pillow and grinned.

Sothis shook her head. "In any case… as you know, I lack a physical body. Despite that, I can interact with the physical world due to mana." She moved around the bed and laid down, leaning her head against the pillow. After that, she looked up at me and said, "I wish to hear your opinion. What do you think of me acting as an assassin? It would be perfect, would it not? An invisible opponent and a knife in the back… flawless, no?"

In theory, yes. But… do you even know how to fight?

"Hmph." Sothis sat up and crossed her arms. "Just who do you think taught Seiros everything she knows? Of course I can fight!" She paused. "Well, it may have been a problem earlier with my small body, but as I am now, that should prove no issue."

Alright… but what about the fact that the Agarthans know you exist? I mean, it looks like they have a way to detect your presence, don't they?

Sothis grinned. "I was expecting that question. Behold!" She held out her hands, showing me a small blue crystal, cut like a teardrop.

That is…?

Sothis waved at it and said, "I recalled how your arm and artificial crest worked and decided to see if I could replicate it. While this is different, it operates on a similar principle, only in the opposite direction."

The opposite direction? You mean it draws out your strength into the atmosphere? Wouldn't that make things worse?

Sothis paused. "…Perhaps I misspoke. What I mean is that this." She gestured towards her crystal. "Can contain my excess divine mana and convert it to ambient mana. Ingenious, is it not? I am sure that even those Agarthans will find it hard to detect me when not a trace of my divinity remains in the air."

Hm… but that's assuming they're detecting you via your mana. It could be something else, couldn't it? Like your spirit or time distortions. Or maybe they're testing the average mana distribution in an area and cross-referencing it.

Sothis rolled her eyes. "If that is so, then I yield. To a foe that would think of such a means to detect me, it would be a respectable loss."

And also one meaning we fail. But this is better than nothing… so good job, Sothis.

I reached out to pat her head.

Sothis closed her eyes for a bit and smiled. And then they shot open and she scowled batting my hand away. "I am no child! There is no need to pet or praise me after every good deed!"

I raised an eyebrow.

Sothis dismissed her magic crystal and crossed her arms. "Do not assume that because the princess so easily allowed you such intimate contact that I will do the same, Byleth."

Sure, sure… Anyway, I have something I want you to take a look at.

I took out the Dark Seal from my pocket and held it out to Sothis.

"Hm?" She frowned and stared at it. "That is…"

A Dark Seal. In the game, it allowed people to turn into Dark Mages and Dark Bishops… but I have a feeling that it does a lot more than that in reality.

"May I take a closer look?"

I passed it over to her.

Sothis raised up the Dark Seal in her hand and then encircled it with golden glyphs. As she did, she frowned. "Strange," she said. "I cannot read this."

Hm?

Sothis dismissed the golden glyphs and handed back the Dark Seal. "I do not recognize any of the characters inscribed within, nor do I recognize the flow of mana around it. If anything, it appears… illogical. Unnatural."

Well, obviously. Dark magic kinda went against the providence of the goddess and all… but illogical, huh?

I shifted the Dark Seal over to my left hand and then focused, slowly reaching out to trace the mana inside the seal. When I did-

"Byleth! Sto-"

* * *

Darkness. An omnipresent and eternal void. Ancient knowledge stretching countless millennia into the past. Mathematical formulae and proofs. Hypotheses, theories, and laws that defied the providence of the divine.

Miasma Delta.

Mire Beta.

Swarm Zeta.

Banshee Theta.

Death Gamma.

Luna Lambda.

Dark Spikes Tau.

Hades Omega.

Bohr Chi.

Quake Sigma.

Ten spells. Ten elites. Seizing the providence of the gods, they defied the fundamental nature of mana and reshaped it through reason. Abiding not by the natural, infinite order, but by the finite arbitration of mathematics.

Differentiation of infinity into finite segments. Integration of infinite fragments into a finite whole.

…The starting penalty is five.

Scorn from the judgment and selfishness that takes away men's fortune. Disdain from the divine that spurns the advancement of intellect of humanity.

Know the violence to hide crimes. Know the power to hide crimes. The malignance of people remains.

A hundred kindnesses and one malignance.

A malignance shining bright to maintain the balance, the salvation of those damned to darkness.

The starting penalty is five.

The sky, the wind, the earth, the water, the light…

Dirty dirty dirty dirty dirty _beasts!_

DAMN THEM ALL TO-

* * *

"BYLETH!"

I blinked.

Sothis was standing in front of me.

My hand was empty now. Glancing up, I saw that Sothis had contained the Dark Seal in countless layers of golden glyphs, turning it into a sphere of pure gold.

I frowned.

What was that for?

"That was for your own-" Sothis paused and then leaned over to stare into my eyes.

After an awkward few seconds, she leaned back and frowned. "You are… fine?"

I nodded.

That was a bit jarring, especially with the maniacal rant there at the end… but it wasn't anything dangerous. At most, it was just like watching a cutscene from a horror game, or reading one of Junji Ito's works.

…Actually, the words were somewhat familiar. I could swear I remembered reading or hearing them somewhere else…

I realized that Sothis was giving me a strange look.

"What?"

Sothis slowly shook her head. "You truly are fine. How… odd. Very odd." She raised the contained Dark Seal and said, "The proper means to use this item should be to carefully and slowly decipher the power sealed within. While it is _possible_ to attempt and acquire all of it at once, the user would go mad. No, they would be completely wiped away, turned into a slave of the will contained within."

…That sounds dangerous.

Sothis nodded. "It is. Normally. However…" She looked amused. "It appears this is another consequence of your world's ridiculous ventures against divine providence." She gestured towards the Dark Seal and said, "The means of wiping away the ego I described is actually commonplace in your world."

Wait, really?

"Yes. I believe you call it… information overload? A constant and steady stream of messages to overload the user's mind. Afterwards, they would be pliable to whatever the one causing the overload desires."

I blinked. That… little blip was trying to brainwash me… by overloading my mind? With just that much? A little spooky and psychotic break with eerie voices chanting into my head?

"Indeed."

…Even crappy indie horror games have done better!

Sothis shook her head. "Again, you are taking for granted the fact that you were raised in a world with information is everywhere. A world with everyone and everything screaming for your attention. In comparison, this world is relatively barren, with information strictly controlled by those in power. Furthermore… while I find it distasteful, I must admit that your world is the superior in manipulation of the masses and the subtleties of the mind. Coming from such a place has granted you a great deal of resistance to these more overt attempts."

Ah. That… made a lot of sense. Though wouldn't that mean that any old person from Earth could come in, grab a Dark Seal and become an instant Dark Mage?

"Perhaps," Sothis said. "However, we will never know, will we?"

Hopefully not. I don't think I could deal with all these time travelers and another gamer getting in over their own heads trying to fix things. And god forbid there be someone trying to get a harem…

Sothis shook her head. "Regardless… what precisely did you see in that seal?"

It's pretty interesting actually. I've… we've actually been using mana as waves. An infinite continuum with a spectra of different frequencies. Mostly intuition as well, with geometric glyphs to structure spells.

Sothis nodded. "Yes. Then… is dark magic different?"

Mmhm. It's a bit complicated, but it's basically using upper level mathematics and discretization of mana to perform black box phenomenon. Normal magic treats mana as analog, infinite and continuous, but dark magic treats it as digital, finite and discrete.

"…What?"

I paused and thought of a simpler way to put it.

…In short, it's just splitting up mana into a bunch of pieces and rearranging the pieces into something else. I'd describe it as making circuits with mana particles acting as switches and then running programs for spells… but I don't think you'd understand.

"Program? Switches? Circuits?" Sothis blinked and then furrowed her brow. "That is… no, such a thing is possible? How in the world did this come about? And matter can exist simultaneously as a wave and a particle?"

Yeah. It's best not to question how computer circuits work or were developed.

Still, the fact that dark magic was similar and that Hubert managed to understand enough of it to use the high level spells was pretty amazing. Especially considering the fact that there really wasn't a similar thing for him to use as an example.

Not to mention the fact that he had his private warp spell that he wasn't sharing with anyone.

I could guess how that worked now after seeing the nature of dark magic, probably doing something with quantum entanglement and brute forcing a space dilation from mana with the entangled particles as markers, but that was coming from having read a load of sci-fi and having nothing but the National Geographic, Syfy, and Discovery channels to watch as a kid.

Sothis shook her head. "Every day, your world continues to amaze me. Do all people in your world possess such knowledge?"

Well I don't know if people remember as much as I do, but I would say that the average gamer knows a lot of random trivia. Especially those that like playing games like Fire Emblem.

Sothis nodded. "…It is very fortunate that you are the only one here then. To think of the chaos that would ensue if there were more than one of you… let alone one less restrained."

Right? Anyway, now that we've got that sorted, it's time for your volunteer work, Sothis.

"Ah." Sothis nodded. "I suppose I did promise. Very well. What is it that you wish for me to do, Byleth?"

Well, first off we need to create you a proper body…

* * *

**Author's Note:**

A bit of a breather chapter. Didn't quite make it to Friday like I anticipated though...

Tomorrow for sure! :fingerscrossed:

Mm... I think that's all I have to say about this chapter? Ah, kudos to whoever recognizes the reference from the bit with the Dark Seal.

Thanks as always for reading and leaving your input, and I'm glad that last chapter was enjoyable. Not too sure if we'll get a magnum opus like that for a while, but hey, numbers game and all.

I hope this chapter was a good read, and I'll see you all tomorrow.


	43. As the Rain Falls

4/25, early morning.

Friday.

At last, the weekend drew near. Unfortunately, I had to get through today first.

The clouds had gathered and rained throughout the night. As a result, even though it was morning, the sky was still dark.

I shook my head and focused back on the task at hand.

At the moment, I was seated at my desk, writing out notes from last night's experiments. A lamp burned on the windowsill, providing the light that the sun currently didn't give.

The soft patter of rain against my window showed that it was still raining. Glancing up, I saw a thin sheen of water against the pane, as well as a gray and dim road. While it wasn't as bad as the downpour throughout the night, it'd still be annoying to have to walk through the rain.

Hopefully there wasn't a faculty meeting. Seteth would have been here by now if there was… probably. The fact that he wasn't meant that either there wasn't, or he was swamped with administrative tasks and had forgotten about it entirely.

"Hm." A soft female voice echoed behind me. Following that, there was the sound of light footsteps, bare feet against the wooden floors. "This is quite strange."

I finished recording my notes and then turned around.

There stood the result of our long night.

Sothis was standing in front of a mirror placed against the wall at the foot of my bed. Staring at her reflection, she fiddled with her hair and tugged at her ears. "How very strange indeed."

The goddess looked basically the same as she did before, but there were a few major differences. For one, she was actually standing on the ground instead of floating around. Also, the blue dress that she usually wore wasn't drifting and defying gravity, but was acting like normal clothes now, shifting as she moved.

However, what was most striking about her now was that her hair was a different color. Instead of the ethereal light green color, Sothis's hair was now a soft midnight blue, similar to the color of her dress. Not only that, but her eyes had changed to suit, shining like sapphires now instead of emeralds.

Another subtle, but important change was in her ears. Rather than the pointed tips that would identify a manakete, or in other worlds an elf, she now had rounded ears. The typical human variety.

Sothis hummed and adjusted her ribbon in the mirror.

I smiled. "Amusing yourself?"

Sothis glanced at me. "It is not that." She shook her head and then stared back at her reflection. "Just… as I am now, we look quite alike, do we not?" She turned back towards me gestured with her hand. "Come to me and look."

We look alike? I mean, Sothis and Byleth always did look a bit similar but…

Curious, I got out of my chair and then walked over to stand beside Sothis.

Despite her changes, she was still a few heads shorter than me. Because of that, I was out of the frame when looking at the mirror.

Sothis frowned and grabbed my arm, tugging me. "Not like that, you fool. Kneel down so that you may have a better look!"

"Sure, sure…"

I went along with Sothis and knelt down. After that, I took a look into the mirror.

The first thing that caught my eye was my own reflection. It had been a day or two since I last took a good look at myself. Yet, in that short time period, it seemed like I'd changed a bit.

My face was still that effeminate and strangely captivating face of Byleth's, but it was different. Mostly because it didn't seem that foreign to me now, but also because it was thinner than I last remembered it being.

I rubbed my jaw and frowned. "Did I lose some weight?"

I remembered my face being a bit fuller the last time I checked, a bit more fleshed out. Now… while I couldn't say that it wasn't fleshed out, I could clearly see the lines on my jaw and cheek bones.

Maybe Mercedes had a point about me needing to eat more. If Diane saw me like this, she probably wouldn't leave me be until I'd finished an entire full course meal in front of her.

Sothis sighed and said, "Enough about you! Look at me!" She tugged at my arm and then pointed at her face.

I glanced over.

Side by side like we were… I could see what she meant. I hadn't noticed by just looking at her, but when our faces were close together, we actually did look similar.

The slope of our noses, the cheek structures… while our eyes were different, mine sharper and more like my father's rather than the rounded shape Sothis had, our facial structure was pretty similar.

Come to think of it, now that I stared at our reflections together, it wouldn't be odd for us to pass off as brother and sister.

Sothis glanced at me and said, "Can you see it, Byleth?"

I nodded. "Yeah. You look just like how I'd expect a bratty kid sister of mine would look."

"Why you…!" Sothis reached over towards my bed and grabbed a pillow. After getting a hold of one, she swung it at me with both hands.

I laughed and moved out of the way.

The pillow smacked harmlessly onto the ground. Of course, because Sothis had swung it with such force, it meant that she fell to the ground too.

"Ow ow ow…" Sothis grimaced and rubbed her forehead. She pushed herself off the ground and then said, "How in the world do you move so well, Byleth?"

"Practice. And you should be grateful that you have a proper body at all, considering our first attempt. Remember that fleshy monstrosity?"

Sothis shivered and hugged herself. "Why would remind me of such a dreadful event?"

"Just pointing out that my 'alchemy' is pretty imprecise. Even I'm not too sure how things managed to work out so well. I mean, we did use your converted mana as fuel and some of my blood as the genetic base, but the fact that you have a proper, living and breathing body… well, it's probably best not to question it too much, actually."

Like my electric grill. Better to treat black box miracles as black boxes and be done with it.

Sothis nodded and then she froze. She rounded on me and said, "You told me that you were convinced it would work the second time!"

I sat down on my bed and then shrugged. "It did, didn't it?"

"You…! What would have you done if it failed?"

"Well, you can't really _die_, Sothis. Not while I'm still alive anyway. Considering that, we'd probably just kill your physical body and start again?"

Sothis stared at me for a while and then she shook her head. "I am beginning to question just what it is that your students find so appealing about you."

"Yeah. Me too."

Though, with this latest experiment, I learned a lot. Especially with how mana, blood, and the nerves interacted. Also a bit about Crests and how they were usually supposed to exist. Paired with my recent enlightenment on dark magic… while it wasn't enough to cure Delly yet, it was a start.

I just had to get my notes to Hanneman at some point… speaking of which, I should check up on him. I saw Manuela last night, but hadn't really talked too much to Hanneman after the meeting.

Sothis walked back over to the mirror and stared at her reflection. She furrowed her brows for a bit and then waved her hand. The moment she did, her blue and lacy dress changed into the academy uniform.

"Hoh?" She twirled a bit, causing the black dress to spin. "These clothes quite suit this new body of mine."

I stared at Sothis.

It… actually did, surprisingly enough. If it was before the changes, her light green hair would have clashed with the dark color scheme, but now that she had dark blue hair, it paired pretty well with the white and gold.

Also, it was a lot less revealing than her usual dress. Still hugged her body a bit too tight, especially around her chest, but it wasn't bad…

Wait.

"…Why are you wearing the academy uniform, Sothis?"

She turned around to look at me. "What?" Sothis smirked and crossed her arms. "Will you not humor your dear sister?"

I paused and then I stood up. "Nope." I made an 'X' with my arms and shook my head. "Not happening. There's already enough chaos with what I did last time. You expect me to let you insert yourself into this situation as my sister? In what world is that a good idea? No, how on earth would I even explain it?"

Sothis waved her hand. "Come now, you have already proven your skill at weaving half-truths into a convincing tale. Surely you can come up with a reason for my presence?"

"I mean I _could_. But _why?_ You're a goddess. You cannot honestly be telling me that you, in all your divine wisdom, thinks this will work or that it's a good idea."

Sothis frowned.

Good. Reality was checking back in with her-

"I believe it will be. Surely it will confuse our opponents, will it not? After all, if they know of the future as you, then this will assuredly… ah, what is the phrase your world uses? Yes. 'Put a wrench in their plans'."

"And mine!" I shook my head. "Even if it might confuse them, what if you get abducted?"

"Obviously, I would not leave your sight or presence. While I may be curious about living as a mortal, I am not _foolish_."

I felt a headache starting. "And what about Rhea or Seteth?"

"They would not recognize me like this." Sothis did a small twirl and said, "They would expect me to appear as them, would they not? With this hair and this form, it would be hard to associate me as the woman who was once their mother. Furthermore, I did not appear as this in the past."

"…And you know this how?"

"Woman's intuition."

Alright, I didn't just feel a headache starting. I actually had one now.

I took a deep breath to calm myself down.

It… didn't really help.

"This is a bad idea. A terrible idea." I stared at Sothis and said, "What happened to being cautious? To avoiding the ripples of Fate?"

Sothis flinched. "T-That… is true. B-But this is the first time I can experience the world in many, many years! While there may be a few mishaps, such as adjusting to this new center of balance, the smells, the sights, the sounds… it is all so _new_!" She spun around to look at me, her eyes bright with joy.

I sighed. "Sothis. You have to remember. We made this body for you so that we could test out the effects of modifying Crests and study the inner workings of mana, not to play around. It's a tool, no more, no less."

Sothis froze and then lowered her gaze. "You… you are right, Byleth." She sighed. "Forgive me. It would appear that I got carried away." She slumped and then turned back around to look at her reflection. There was a longing gaze in her eyes and she reached out to touch the mirror.

I winced.

That…

I never really thought about it… but an existence like Sothis's would have been pretty isolating, wouldn't it? While she had me around… she was basically existing in the ether, like someone in VR.

She could see the world as I saw it, experience it as I did, as well as rely on my memories… but all of that was second hand. Like someone playing a game or watching a movie.

After creating a body for her, she was alive. Really alive, not just a spirit or a projection. While her life wasn't tied to that body, it was still _hers_. Something through which she could experience the world on her own.

"…Dammit."

"Hm?" Sothis turned around to look at me.

That face of hers, those eyes, that hair… she really did look like she could be my sister. No, we basically were siblings at this point, weren't we? At least, we bickered enough for it.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit."

This was a bad idea. This was definitely not going to end up well.

But… I wanted to save everyone, right? To make sure to reach a golden ending. Then… how could I leave out Sothis?

"…Fine. Fine! You win."

Sothis's face lit up. "Truly?!"

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. "Yeah. I guess I'll sort something out… Damn. Is this how dad feels dealing with my stuff? No wonder he's always so grouchy."

Gotta add a bottle of fine liquor to the list of gifts I had to grab on my free day…

"Thank you, Byleth!" Sothis ran towards me and wrapped me in a tight hug.

_"You're the best brother in the whole world!"_

I froze.

A headache.

For a split second, I saw a different time. A different place.

A paved road with towering buildings all around. Me, smiling and patting someone's head. A letter in my right hand and a car behind me.

I blinked and the vision was gone.

Sothis had release me from her hug, humming and twirling in my room. "Oh, this will be marvelous! Ah, but today is raining…" She waved her hand and then a clear umbrella appeared. "This will do."

I shook my head.

What… was that? It was familiar… but definitely not Fodlan. And… why did I feel like I was forgetting something?

Sothis ran up to me and grabbed my left arm. "Come, Byleth! Let us venture forth into the misty morning dew!" She started walking, trying to pull me along.

I stopped her and said, "Now hold on. If we're really doing this, you're going to need to play along with everything I say."

Sothis rolled her eyes and said, "You worry too much, Byleth. Despite my newly acquired form, we still share a connection. Simply send your thoughts along and it will be fine. Besides, while I may not have your silver tongue, I can assure you that I am much better at acting!"

…Right.

"Hmph. Do you doubt my words?"

I sighed. "Considering everything going on, it's more like I'm wondering just how much I'll have to fix things. On second thought, why don't we-"

Sothis frowned and stared at me. Her blue eyes were watery, her lips quivering…

"Stop that."

"B-But…"

Dammit. I guess Claude was right. I really am a pushover… no wonder Hilda and Lysithea kept bleeding my wallet dry every free day.

"Fine. We'll stick with the sibling story."

Sothis smiled and said, "Wonderful! You know, I have never had a sibling before. This will be quite the delightful experience!"

"Yeah, yeah." I started walking and said, "Come on, Soth- hm. That won't work. Can't just go around calling you by the name of the goddess… and if the name's too different, you'll probably forget."

Sothis frowned. "Are you doubting my memory?"

"…You're the amnesiac here. You tell me. Besides, you can get caught up in the moment just as easily as I do."

"That… well, I suppose I cannot deny that…"

I nodded. "Right. So a name… Sothis is another name for Sirius, a type of star… Bellatrix? Bella? No, too different. And Sirius is a guy's name…"

"…If we are going with stars, then what of the name 'Stella'?"

"Stella, huh?" I stared at Sothis.

Cute, pretty energetic, and bright.

"…I guess that works. Stella it is."

"Wonderful!" Sothis let go of my arm and walked over to the door.

"Well it looks like one of us is happy about this…"

I felt a headache. Paired with my lack of sleep, this was going to be a recipe for disaster.

Why couldn't Saturday get here already so I could go stock up on coffee?

"Come, Byleth!" Sothis opened the door and stepped outside, opening up her umbrella. She smiled, twirling in the rain a bit, and then turned back to me. "Do not keep me waiting!"

_"Y-you won't be gone too long, right? It's just a few months…"_

I shook my head. That voice again… no, that memory.

"Byleth!"

I sighed and dug around in my wardrobe for my long coat. After tossing it on over my clothes, I walked out after Sothis.

Locking the door behind me, I made a silent prayer.

…Please let nothing go wrong today.

* * *

The sun started to rise, brightening up the surroundings. However, the clouds were still enveloping the sky, so it wasn't too bright yet. Coupled with the soft drizzle, it was still a pretty miserable looking day.

Despite that, Sothis seemed to be enjoying herself, skipping about and jumping in puddles.

We had taken a walk to the south side of the monastery, away from the dorms and main buildings.

Part of that was because Sothis wanted to personally experience the place where the party happened. The other part was because I needed to buy time to sort out Sothis's… or rather Stella's backstory.

Sothis… 'Stella' lowered her umbrella and spun around. After a bit, she smiled and said, "So this is rain… how curious. Though I have no recollection of such a thing, it feels so nostalgic and pleasant…"

It was nice that she was enjoying herself… but that didn't help my headache.

Fortunately, from appearances alone, there was no way anyone would deny we were related. 'Stella' looked similar enough to me to pass as my sister. That was a plus, a fortunate coincidence. Probably a result of using my blood as a base, come to think of it.

That part, at least, was settled. The problem was her background.

If dad was here, we could corroborate the story. Maybe say something about him keeping Stella a secret because of her Crest or something. But he wasn't here, and while I didn't doubt he could roll with whatever story we pulled on him, it was still less than ideal. Not to mention Rhea would probably be with him when he came back.

…Maybe I could try and figure out telepathy real quick?

No, that was a hail-mary attempt. Though, I probably should at that to my to-do list… it'd be a great help when we got into bigger battlefields.

Anyway, that was out.

…Gah, why did I even agree to this? Was I really that much of a pushover?

_Yes._

I shook my head and stared at my dear 'sister'.

Stella had managed to find a cat wandering around. It was little kitten with a ginger coat. Did it realize that Stella was divine, or did she just give off a cute enough vibe to calm the kitten down? Either way, the little thing was purring and rubbing its cheek against Stella's leg.

She smiled and knelt down to scratch its head, shielding it from the rain with her umbrella.

…No. I was being distracted.

Alright. So… sister. Another problem with that story was that I'd already admitted to Rhea that my mother was Iris. Considering that Rhea would know if I had a twin, I couldn't pull that excuse now.

Maybe I could just say that Stella was an acquaintance? I could vouch for her… but then the issue of her Crest would come up. Since we were trying to figure out how to fix Delly's issues, my dear sister had the wonderful dual Crests of Flame and Seiros.

That headache I had was becoming a migraine.

"Sot-ella. Stella," I said. "Maybe we should rethink this?"

"Hm?" Stella turned around to look at me. "Why?"

"I know that you want to experience the world properly and all… but we really don't have a good cover story for you."

Stella tilted her head. "Can we not just say that Jeralt had more than one child? His original story was that you were born long after he left, was it not? Perhaps I could be his true child with that story."

"That would work… except that you have none of my dad's features."

I barely had any either, only my eyes.

Stella stood up and walked over. "Perhaps I simply take after my mother?"

I stared at her and frowned. That… could work. But… "Just who would that be?"

Stella shrugged. "A random mercenary, a village maiden… does it matter? She would have died and I returned to the monastery to reunite with you." She held out her hand, manifesting the Crest of Seiros, and said, "This is proof enough, is it not? Considering the strict regulation of the imperial bloodline… the only other means of inheritance would be Jeralt. Our father."

"I guess, but-"

"Argh, my head…" A female voice.

I froze and turned around to look towards the speaker.

Violet, messy hair. A blue hood pulled up to block out the rain.

Bernadetta walked along the paved path, shaking her head. "Stupid Bernie… you should have listened to the professor and-"

Crap.

Alright, maybe we can escape while I sort out Stella's backstory some more-

"Wait, Professor? Is that you?"

-Or not.

Bernadetta walked closer and waved. "Are you here to check on the plants this morning- Huh?" She blinked and glanced between me and my dear sister standing next to me.

"W-Wait." She pointed at me and then at Stella. "P-Professor? And female professor!? Th-there are two of you?! No, did you clone yourself?!"

I held up my hands. "Wait. Bernie, you've got the wrong-"

Bernadetta screamed and started backing away. "I knew you weren't human! Demon, no, the devil…! Ooh, Bernie you've messed up this time!" She spun around and started running back towards her room. "I knew those sweets were too good to be truuueeee!"

Her voice trailed off, fading away as she fled at full speed. Considering how fast she vanished, it looked like she'd activated the Crest of Indech in her panic.

"…"

Stella turned to look at me. "Should I have said something?"

"Yes. Yes you should have." I sighed. "But I guess it's too late now."

In for a penny…

I shook my head and said, "Anyway… if you're serious about sticking around like this-"

"Of course I am!"

"…Then we should probably meet with Seteth, right? I wouldn't want them to think that you're a spy or anything and send you off to prison."

"Hmph." Stella crossed her arms and said, "As if such mortal constructs could contain me… but you have a point." She nodded. "Very well. Let us go see Cichol."

"Seteth."

"…Ah yes. Seteth."

I stared at her.

"D-Do not give me that look!" She averted her gaze and said, "It is not my fault that you mortals have so many names! Moreover… what need does a goddess have to remember the names of every mortal being?"

"You know… were you really that benevolent before, or is Rhea just projecting?"

Suddenly, there were footsteps and a figure emerged from the mist. "What is Rhea projecting, Professor?" Green, curled hair. Stern eyes… and fishing gear?

Seteth stared at me, carrying a fishing pole in one hand and a bucket in the other.

And then he stared at Stella.

He blinked and then furrowed his brow. "…Who is-"

"It is a pleasure to meet you!" Stella ran over, carrying her umbrella with her, and stuck out her right hand. "I am Stella, Byleth's dear sister!"

Seteth shifted his gaze over to me and raised an eyebrow.

...Dammit Sothis.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Well, this took longer than expected.

We could play a drinking game about how many times things have gone wrong when Byleth decides to experiment... You would think he had learned his lesson by now, but I guess 'love' is blinding?

Also, Sothis was apparently insistent on writing herself into the plot. She practically demanded proper screentime... so I guess I'll have to work around that. Though this could load a chekhov gun I left behind a while back... we'll see how that goes.

I hope it was an enjoyable chapter seeing Sothis's... or rather, Stella's antics.

Thanks for reading and leaving your input, as always. It's greatly appreciated, and I can only hope to keep up an entertaining tale in return.

I'll see you tomorrow... hopefully earlier than this.

Until then!


	44. A Sad Girl's Pleas

Seteth placed down his bucket and shook Stella's hand. "Seteth. A pleasure to meet you, miss. But…" He glanced at me and said, "I was unaware that you had a sister, Byleth."

Was this a case of speaking the devil's name calling him forth? Or was this Fate screwing with me again for breaking free from the normal flow of time? Either way… I had to think, and fast.

I made sure to keep a straight face and said, "No one asked."

Seteth frowned. "I am quite sure that I was informed that you were an only child by both Rhea and Jeralt."

Well… Crap. Alright, improv time. Let's see…

I nodded. "That is true. I am an only child… however, that doesn't mean that I'm my father's only child."

Seteth shook his head. "I do not follow."

"While my mother and father only had one child, my father had another with someone else. Stella here." I gestured towards my _lovely_ sister and said, "Is my half-sister from another mother."

Seteth gave me a blank look. "Half-sister."

"That's right."

"From another mother?" He stared at Stella.

She nodded. "That is correct, Mister Seteth."

The green-haired advisor shifted his gaze between me and Stella a few times and frowned. "…You two do look close enough to be siblings. However, that does not answer how or why she is here, Byleth. Surely you would have thought to mention such a vital detail earlier?"

"That…"

Sothis, don't say anything that could make this worse. Let me-

"Am I not welcome?"

Dammit. Alright, let's think this… through?

Seteth's eyes widened.

I frowned and followed his gaze to see that he was staring at Stella.

My dear sister lowered her head and looked up at Seteth with watery sapphire eyes. Her lips quivered and her adorable features looked twisted with anguish.

Seeing that, my eyes widened too.

"M-My mother told me that I could find my family here. She said… she said it was too dangerous for someone like me to be anywhere but the monastery. Be-before she died, she said that I could find my father here. I managed to find my brother after so long, but…" She shook her head, causing glittering tears to fall. "Am I not welcome?"

She finished in a soft whisper, her voice cracking at the end of her words.

Well… damn.

While I had mastered the art of deadpanning and an implacable poker face, it looked like Sothis… or rather 'Stella' had S-ranked puppy dog eyes and sympathy.

If I was great at hiding all of my emotions and keeping calm, Stella was criminally skilled in faking genuine emotions and evoking pity.

An adorable and pitiful young girl who had lost her remaining family and come to the monastery on a half-baked hope. Sothis played that role so well that I almost doubted that she was the same person.

I knew the truth, and even I was half-buying into the act.

Seteth quickly shook his head. "I said nothing of the sort. Only-"

"No… it is fine." Stella turned around and bowed her head towards me. "Th-thank you, my brother. But I-" She swallowed and said, "I guess that I will… be leaving after all." She shook her head, sending a few more tears scattering, and then started making her way down the road.

My eyes widened and I quickly grabbed her before she left.

Sothis, what are you doing?

_Wait for it. One… two… three-_

Seteth let out a deep sigh and then bowed his head. "My apologies, Professor. Miss Stella." He straightened and then said, "To doubt such a pure cry for help- no, to ignore such dire straits…" He shook his head. "It would appear that recent events had taken a deeper toll on me than I thought."

Holy crap.

_Hmph. Do you still doubt my abilities?_

That's a cheat. A damned blatant cheat.

Stella raised her head, hiding her eyes in her bangs and said, "Th-then I can stay?"

"Of course! I am not so cruel as to bar a child from her rightful family. However… I am curious." Seteth turned to look at me and said, "Why would it be dangerous for your sister to be outside of the monastery?"

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. I didn't need to fake the exasperation I was feeling. But in response to Seteth, I said, "My dear sister's blood is a bit… special. Like my own, if you know what I mean."

Not a lie, but not the whole truth either. Unlike my lovely sister, I couldn't lie so easily, but omitting the truth and telling half-truths were something I could do in spades.

Seteth's eyes widened. While I couldn't read his thoughts, I had no doubt that the gears were turning in his head, making connections between all the tiny events that had piled up to this point. Especially when I mentioned 'blood'.

"That… I see," Seteth muttered. "Yes, that explains quite a lot. Then the reason why Rhea did not mention… and Zanado…" He nodded and turned to look at Stella. "Rest assured, Miss Stella. You are safe here at the monastery. None shall harm you." His gaze softened and he said, "I know all too well how difficult it is to be on the run due to your blood… You may be at peace knowing that you may relax here."

"Truly?" Stella raised her head. Her eyes were still glistening, a line of tears running down both sides of her cheeks. However, she was smiling, a bright expression filled with hope. "I can stay? With my brother? Here?"

Seteth smiled and patted Stella's head. "Of course. I have a sister around your age as well… and in a similar situation. Perhaps you two might keep each other company?"

Stella nodded.

An Oscar worthy performance. I had no doubt in my mind that, were we back on Earth, my dear sister would have made a killing in the entertainment business.

Seteth lowered his hand and turned back to look at me. "Have you arranged for her lodgings yet, Professor?"

I shook my head. "Not quite yet."

"What of her wardrobe? Belongings? I see that you have acquired a change of clothes for her, but what of her small clothes? And then there are the feminine necessities…"

I blinked.

Seteth realized I wasn't following and sighed. "Of course. With your competence, I had forgotten that this might be new to you… No matter. I will arrange for the necessary supplies." He looked at Stella and said, "Think of this as an apology for doubting you."

She bowed her head and said, "Thank you, Mister Seteth!"

A bright and cheerful voice. Completely different than the teasing and mischievous tone she usually used.

Was this what people meant when they said their world turned topsy-turvy? None of this was making any sense… but it was working?

Seteth smiled and then he turned back to look at me. "Professor. Has Jeralt been informed?" He paused. "No. Is he aware of the existence of his daughter? You appear to know of Miss Stella, but…"

I shook my head. "I don't think so. I happened to meet Stella when I was younger and on my own, but my dad never got a chance to. I've been meaning to tell him, but… well, you know how my father is."

Another half-truth. I _did_ meet Sothis when I was younger and on my own. About a few days younger and on the verge of death. And my dad had met Sothis, but he hadn't met 'Stella' yet, so that wasn't a lie either.

Seteth frowned. "I see. Then I suppose that would make you her guardian for the time being." He shook his head and said, "Have you considered enrolling her in the Academy? It would be difficult to spend time with her in your role as a Professor, but that would be resolved quite readily by having her in your class. I also believe it would bring a better peace of mind to the both of you."

I walked over and placed an arm around Stella's shoulders.

For a split second, she flinched, breaking the act. However, she immediately leaned into it and gave me a soft gaze.

Thankfully, my poker face was better than hers, so Seteth didn't suspect anything.

"That was the plan… but is that even possible?" I shook my head. "I don't know where to even begin enrolling her."

"That…" Seteth frowned. "Hm. You are correct. It would be a bit of a hassle… not to mention the tuition fee. While we have no problem with the recommendations, it would set a poor precedent to allow a student to attend classes without paying…"

A poor precedent, huh? Guess that didn't apply when it came to Flayn. Either way, it didn't solve my issue of funding.

"…How much is the tuition?"

Seteth sighed. "Forty thousand gold pieces per year. Monthly… thirty five hundred."

I flinched. "And how much do I make?"

"Exactly five thousand gold pieces at the beginning of each month."

I ran some quick math in my head.

40,000 per year or 3,500 per month. The best deal would obviously be the full price, but I didn't have that kind of money. I kind of doubted that anyone did, except for the lords actually.

Assuming that one gold piece was about a dollar, that meant that tuition for the academy was the same price as university back on Earth.

Deducting my sister's tuition from my salary left me with 1,500 gold pieces per month to spend. That was three novice seals, fifteen pounds of smoked meat, or around five iron weapons.

I could shore up costs because of alchemy, but… my budget would be pretty tight.

I frowned.

"I do apologize, Professor." Seteth shook his head. "However, this-"

"It's fine. Just deduct it from my salary."

"…Are you certain?" Seteth frowned. "I could potentially arrange for your sister to attend partial classes under the other professors-"

I shook my head. "No. Too risky."

Also because I couldn't even begin to imagine the chaos that would ensue if I let my dear sister out of my sights for more than a day.

I paused.

…This was payback, wasn't it? No, karma.

_Pure coincidence, I assure you._

Right…

Seteth nodded. "Of course. I suppose I would not even entertain such a thing for Flayn. To ask that of you was tactless." He shook his head and said, "Then I will arrange it at once." He glanced at Stella and said, "I presume you will wish to stay with your brother?"

Stella frowned and then stepped closer to me, hugging my arm.

"…I take that as a yes." Seteth looked at me and said, "Do you have the space, Professor?"

"I'm a mercenary. I'll be resourceful."

"True. Then… I suppose that this is settled." Seteth shook his head. "The Goddess works in strange ways. To think that I had ever suspected you when we so much in common."

"Rhea bumming everything to us, people trying to kidnap our adorable sisters, and kids driving us up the wall?"

Seteth gave me a wry smile and said, "Quite." He picked up his bucket and said, "Well, I should be off. If I wish to arrange everything, then I must return immediately before my other duties begin… Ah." He paused and said, "I had forgotten to inform you, Professor, but with Rhea absent and myself otherwise preoccupied, our faculty meetings will be put on hold for the time being."

"Thanks for the notice, Seteth."

He nodded. "Then I shall bid my leave… Ah. And feel free to take your sister with you to your class. I will arrange the paperwork shortly, so there will be no issue."

With that, he left.

…No issue, huh? Maybe in terms of paperwork, but there was the glaring issue of me introducing her to everybody.

Most of the students would probably just be surprised, but Delly, Claude, and Dimitri…

"Well?" Stella grinned and crossed her arms. "I am quite impressive, am I not?"

I ruffled up her hair and said, "You're just lucky you're cute."

"Quit that!" Stella batted my hand away and huffed. "Save such intimate actions for your princess!"

"What, I can't mess with my kid sister?"

Stella glared at me.

I frowned. "You're going to have to get used to it, you know? It'll be odd if you don't act right around others."

Stella rolled her eyes and said, "You need not patronize me. I know full well how and when to act."

"Sure… by the way, where did you learn to do the puppy eyes?"

Stella grinned and said, "That is my trade secret."

"…You've been watching anime again, haven't you."

"I will admit nothing."

I sighed. "Well… at least the most pressing problem is out of the way."

Seteth being suspicious of us was my biggest concern, but it seemed like Stella had wrapped him around her little finger.

"I did indeed." Stella sighed and said, "Still… to think that man was once my child." She frowned. "It is strange to think that any of them are my children. Nor do I feel any particular connection to them… how odd."

I shrugged. "Probably due to the whole dying thing. But anyway…" I looked up.

The rain was getting heavier.

I sighed. "Time to face the music. Come on, Stella."

I started walking towards the courtyard where the classrooms were.

"You fool!"

"Hm?"

I turned around to see Stella run over to hold her umbrella over my head.

She poked me and said, "Your health is of utmost importance! How could you even consider making your way there without protection from the rain? Do you _wish_ to fall ill?"

"…I don't get sick?"

Stella walked close to me and held the umbrella over both of us. Because she was shorter though, the bottom of the umbrella hung on my head rather than above it like it was supposed to.

I sighed. "Here, let me-"

"No!" She shook her head and said, "The moment you have it, you plan on shielding me alone and standing in the rain."

"Well, yeah. Like I said, I don't get sick. You, on the other hand…'

Stella shook her head. "I refuse. Either we walk together and I hold the umbrella, or we stand here until the rain stops."

I felt a headache coming on. Weighing the pros and cons in my head, I decided to just let it be and said, "Fine, you win."

"Good. Then, let us be on our way." Stella moved close to me and began walking, tugging me along with her.

Water splashed as we walked through puddles on our way to the courtyard. The heavy rain bounced off of the umbrella, making a low roar.

I stared at Stella… at Sothis and frowned. The entire time we walked, she hadn't let go of me once.

"…You're really taking a liking to the role, aren't you, 'Stella'?"

Stella huffed and said, "Me? Like being your sister? With how insufferable you are and how much trouble you get into, it is a wonder that I can stand being by your side at all. Honestly…"

Despite those harsh words, she couldn't hide the slight smile crossing her lips.

I shook my head. It seemed like one of us wasn't being honest…

"A-Anyway," Stella said. "I would say that you are the one taking to the role so readily." She looked at me and said, "You make quite the overprotective older brother."

_"…You weren't there. Why weren't you-!"_

Sirens, a phone call, a sterile white room.

I grimaced and said, "I… don't think so."

"Hm?"

I ruffled Stella's hair and said, "Don't worry about it, brat."

"You…! Hmph. You are fortunate that I-"

"-am a goddess with infinite patience, yeah, I remember."

Stella frowned and stomped on my foot.

"…Really?"

She flushed and looked away. "Y-You are the child! Provoking me in such a manner…"

* * *

I stood under the alcove near the Black Eagles classroom and tried wringing out the water from my coat. Despite the umbrella, I had already gotten pretty soaked standing in the rain talking to Seteth. While I didn't think my students would mind considering everyone would probably be a bit wet, it'd probably be distracting having a lecture with my clothes dripping the entire time.

Stella closed her umbrella and sighed. "Must I do everything?" She waved her hand at me. A warm breeze passed, and the next thing I knew, the water had been wicked away from my clothes, leaving me completely dry.

I put my coat back on and said, "…I was just about to do that."

"Whatever will make you sleep better, my dear brother." Stella shook her head and then walked over to the podium. She placed her umbrella beside it and then used a little breeze to send herself up to sit on it.

I walked back into the classroom, closing the door behind me, and said, "I'm surprised you're handling mana so well, all things considered."

Before, Sothis was essentially a mana astral projection. Because of that, her ease in using mana was a given. Now though, she had a fleshy physical body as Stella.

"I would have thought it would be more difficult for you now."

Stella held up her right hand. Within it, she shifted her fingers, causing lightning to crackle. "In truth, it is more difficult." She shook her head and turned to look at me. "However, it would demean your painful and suicidal experiments if I could not achieve at least this much with all the effort you put in, would it not?"

That was true. I could still remember the feeling of my body coming apart at the seams during that fight with the Flame Emperor.

Stella kicked her feet against the podium and nodded. "Yes. With those memories at hand, even a dunce would become a genius in handling mana, would they not?"

"…I guess. Also… I'm surprised the podium is holding up your weight."

Stella froze and then glared at me. "Are you insinuating that I am fat?"

"Of course not. But you're not a child." I shook my head and said, "Either you're lighter than I thought, or that podium is made of some hefty stuff."

"Why I- Hmph!" Stella hopped off the podium. After that, she walked over to me and held out her hands. "Pick me up!"

"…What?"

"Pick. Me. Up." Her blue eyes peered into my own and she said, "That way you can be certain that you are mistaken!"

"…I'll just take your word for-"

"Byleth!"

I sighed. "Fine." I reached under her arms and lifted her up. When I did… "Huh." I shook my head. "You actually are pretty light."

Stella nodded, looking pleased with herself. "I told you as much. Now, let me down." She started rocking her body, trying to jump down.

"Wa-wait, don't do that, Ste- whoa!"

The floor was a bit wet from the rain dripping off the umbrella. While Stella wasn't that heavy, she was still the size of a healthy female teenager. The combination of her rocking back and forth to hop off and the wet floor meant that both of us were sent flying to the ground.

"Ow ow ow…" Stella muttered. "My head…"

I winced. "Your head? My back… and chest. And… actually, all of me kind of hurts right now." I shook my head. "I take it back. You're actually pretty heavy."

"You-"

The door opened.

I froze. Above me, I felt Stella's body turn rigid as well.

"Professor?" A lovely female voice. Dorothea's. "Are you… here?" She gasped.

I slowly turned my head to look at the door, hoping beyond hope that it was only her.

Dorothea stood there with a black umbrella in hand, alone.

Good. This was still salvageable-

"Dora?" Another female voice, one that I could never forget. "What's the matter?"

Edelgard… Delly walked up behind Dorothea and peered into the room over the former songstress's shoulder.

I turned my head back and tapped it against the floor.

…I just had to tempt Fate, didn't I?

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Some more slice of life and sibling bonding time.

Not much to say this time, other than the fact that the mock battle seems to draw further and further away... But only a few more key points and then we can finally do some time skipping. Granted, it'll only be a few days, but... better than nothing? :fingerscrossed:

Thanks as always for reading and leaving your input.

I hope the chapter was enjoyable, and I'll see you tomorrow.


	45. A Force I Can't Run From

**Author's Notes:**

FFN did the thing again... it also didn't display some reviews for a while too, even though I got the alerts in my mail. Weird...

Anyway, a friendly reminder to read the chapter before this in case you didn't catch it being updated yesterday.

* * *

The sound of an umbrella snapping shut and then footsteps echoed in the room.

I braced myself for the worst. But before I could say anything-

"Oh my goddess, she's adorable, Professor!" Dorothea reached over and picked Stella up, hugging her tight.

"U-Unhand me this instant!" Stella squirmed, but couldn't wriggle free from Dorothea's grasp.

"Sorry, sorry." Dorothea took a step back and said, "I just couldn't resist!"

I pushed myself off the ground. The moment I did, Stella ran behind me, using me as shield.

Delly walked into the room, closing her umbrella and holding it in her left hand. After that, her violet eyes flitted back and forth between me and Stella. With each pass, I could almost see the gears in her brain turning, trying to sort out an explanation.

"Hmph!" Stella peered out from behind me and said, "What a rude old lady!"

Dorothea laughed and then turned to look at me. "Where did you pick her up, Professor? No, where were you keeping such a cute thing?"

Stella 'eeped' and then ducked behind me again, as if afraid Dorothea would walk over and pull her into another hug.

Delly nodded, her gaze focused on Stella for a bit, and then she said, "Yes, my teacher. I wasn't aware that you had a sister."

"Sister?" Dorothea frowned and then said, "Ooh, that makes more sense. I thought it was his daughter."

I blinked. "Daughter? Do I honestly look that old?"

"Indeed!" Stella stepped out from behind me and crossed her arms. "I am no child, let alone Byleth's!"

Dorothea covered her mouth with her right hand, trying to hide her smile, and waved with her left. "Sorry, sorry. It was just the first thing my mind jumped to. I didn't mean to offend you, honest."

"Hmph." Stella crossed her arms. "Well… I suppose I will forgive you. But do not approach me so suddenly again!"

Delly raised an eyebrow and said, "Care to introduce us, my teacher?"

"Right. I probably should." I stared at Stella and waved my hand towards my students. "I already mentioned them to you, Stella, but these are-"

"The clingy diva and your dear princess." Stella nodded. "I am well aware, my dear brother."

Dorothea took a step back, clutching at her heart. "Clingy diva?"

"D-Dear princess?" Delly flushed and placed her right hand on her cheek. "Th-that… W-Well, I suppose that is not wrong, but to put is so bluntly…"

"Wait, dear princess? No, Professor's dear princess?" Dorothea rounded on Delly and said, "Is there something that you're not telling me, Edie?"

"N-Nothing, Dora! Nothing at all!"

"That's the tone of someone hiding a secret, Edie."

Delly shook her head and then glanced at Stella. "A-Anyway, what is her name, Professor? She has yet to identify herself."

"She's-"

Before I could say anything, Stella moved close to me and grabbed my arm. "I am Byleth's beloved sister, Stella." She narrowed her eyes. "And now that I am here, let it be known that I will be carefully screening his relationships."

I frowned.

Sothis, what are you saying?

"Hoh?" Dorothea looked amused. "Does that mean that you don't approve of me?" She crossed her arms and said, "Should I take that as a challenge?"

I shook my head. "Please don't. And stop messing around, Stella. You're making things worse."

Stella turned towards me, showing off her sparkling blue eyes. "I am only looking out for your best interests, my dear brother."

I scoffed. "Sure you are…"

Dorothea walked over to the front row of desks and placed her umbrella against the table. After that, she slung a purse that she'd been keeping under her arm onto the table. When she was finished, she turned back to me and said, "Stella, huh? Well, your sister definitely looks the part of a star. I'd bet the opera house would snatch her right up if they saw her."

Stella's eyes widened and she jumped back behind my back. "Snatch me up? I knew it! This divine beauty is a curse!"

"It's a figure of speech, my dear sister. And would you stop using me as a shield?"

Stella shook her head.

Dorothea frowned. "Did I… say something wrong?"

I ran my hand through my hair and said, "Let's just say my sister has some… concerns about people hunting her down."

At that time, another person walked through the door.

Ferdinand waved and said, "Good morning to you, Professor." He turned towards the others and said, "Dorothea, Edelgard, and- hm? Who is this?"

I sighed.

* * *

Since I figured everyone would have questions about Stella when they arrived, after Ferdinand's entrance, I decided to wait until everyone else got to class and get everything done in one go.

I glanced around the room to make sure everyone was settled.

Edelgard, Dorothea, Ferdinand were sitting in the front row of desks in that order, with a bit of space on either side.

The row behind those three were Caspar and Petra.

Then, in the back, there was Bernadetta and Linhardt.

Hubert was noticeably absent, but I kind of figured that would be the case considering how injured he was last night.

After seeing everyone was quiet and staring at Stella, I went over the explanation for her presence. Thankfully, it was the second time explaining her backstory, and the key details had been fleshed out when we talked to Seteth, so it wasn't difficult to retell it.

"…And that's why my dear sister will be joining our class. She can be a bit of a troublemaker, but I hope you'll all get along. Any questions?"

Bernie raised her hand.

"Yes Bernie?"

The lavender-haired girl glanced between me and Stella, who was standing beside me, and said, "S-So you aren't a demon? And that girl isn't some evil doppelganger you created to punish me for eating all of your sugar?"

I shook my head. "No, Bernie. She's not."

Bernie sighed in relief and then slumped down in her chair.

Ferdinand shook his head. "I still cannot believe it. Our professor has a sister… moreover, one completely different in nature."

Stella huffed. "I cannot help that my brother is such a stone-faced boor."

"Getting creative with the insults now, are we?"

Stella smiled at me and said, "Is it not true?"

"Wait," Caspar said. "So the Prof's got a sister-"

"Half-sister," Linhardt corrected.

"Right, half-sister. Anyway, she's being hunted down by people for her blood? And so she's going to join our class where we can help keep an eye on her?"

I nodded. "That's about right, yeah."

"Awesome!" Caspar grinned and pumped a fist in the air. "I can't wait to bust some heads open!"

"You know, Caspar," Dorothea said. "Most boys would be more excited about the fact that a cute girl's joined their class rather than the chance to fight."

"Hm?" Caspar tilted his head. "Well, _yeah_. But she's the Prof's sister, right? That makes her basically our sister by extension, doesn't it?"

"I don't…" Dorothea sighed and shook her head. "You know what? Sure, Caspar." Under her breath, she muttered, "I see what Hilda means now…"

Petra nodded. "Yes… Caspar is being quite the block of wood."

"Hey!" Caspar turned towards Petra and said, "What does that mean?"

Petra smiled. "It is nothing, Caspar."

"Don't sound like nothing to me. What are you two talking about? I feel like I'm missing something here…"

Linhardt sighed. "So dense…"

"Dense?"

Petra shook her head and said, "Ah, Professor. I am remembering now that Hubert asked to say he is having the sickness because of the rain. I will be taking any assignments to him later."

I nodded. "Got it, Petra."

Though, the fact that Hubert was skipping out on class entirely… it looked like his injuries were worse than he let on last night, especially considering the fact that he had an elixir on him.

…He was probably fine though. Considering that Dimitri ran him through like three different times in the war and he managed to get away each time, the guy wouldn't be put down that easily.

"Anyway." I turned to Stella and said, "You should probably find a seat, my dear sister. It's about time for me to get on with today's lecture."

She frowned and said, "Could I not stand here beside you?"

"Considering I'm paying for you to be here, could you at least put in the effort to act like a student?"

And no, I wasn't bitter about having over 75% of my salary gouged by tuition costs.

Not at all.

Dorothea gasped. "Wait, you're paying for Stella's education? All of it, out of pocket?"

"Well… yeah? What else am I supposed to do?"

Ferdinand placed a hand on his chin and said, "Does the monastery pay its professors that well?"

Linhardt yawned and said, "They don't. I'd estimate around three thousand gold pieces on average per month. Five thousand at the max."

Bernie moaned. "Oh no… did that mean that I wasted all of the Professor's hard earned money the other day when I ate the sugar?"

Ferdinand shook his head. "Well, such refined sugar would no doubt have fetched a hefty price…"

"Bernie, you dummy! Argh!" She pulled her hood up and buried herself in her desk.

I blinked and shook my head. "Wait, what's the big deal? It's just some gold, right?"

Edelgard frowned and stared at me. "Be honest, my teacher. Are you in debt for supporting your sister? Because if you are, my initial offer of aiding you still stands. I may be at odds with my uncle, but I can assure you that my coffers are far from empty."

"While that's great, I-"

Ferdinand nodded. "Yes. How could we allow our Professor to befall such ill-tidings after what he has done for us?" He looked at me and said, "While I do not have much access to the funds of House Aegir, let it be known that I, Ferdinand von Aegir, will do all that I may be capable of to aid you, Professor."

"That's not-"

"Yeah!" Dorothea nodded. "I don't have much, but I have a little saved up. And you probably didn't get a chance to get any clothes for your sister, right? I can chip in for that."

"Ooh!" Caspar jumped up and said, "I've got an idea! Fish bite more in the rain, right? Why don't we go and try to catch some golden ones in the pond? Those sell for a lot, right? If we all go for it, we should be able to get one or two, no problem!"

"That is a shining idea, Caspar!" Petra stood up and said, "I will be getting ready at once."

I felt a headache coming on and then glared at Stella.

She stared back, blinking those round blue eyes of hers. "What?"

"This is your fault." I shook my head and then glanced around the room. It seemed like my students were stuck on the conclusion that I needed help paying for Stella's tuition. Though whether that was because of respect for me or my sister's adorable charm, I wasn't sure.

Either way…

I raised my left hand and snapped my fingers, amplifying the sound waves with a bit of mana.

In an instant, the room became quiet.

I shook my head and said, "While I appreciate the enthusiasm everyone, you can rest assured that I have everything squared away. I'm not in debt, nor will I be starving or anything like that in the near future because I'm paying for my sister's education."

Despite my words, from the looks on everyone's faces, it seemed like they didn't believe me.

Dorothea frowned. "You don't have to try and cover it up, Professor. It's alright to ask for help, you know? I mean, you already spent so much on us already, so it's fine if we chip in a bit, right?"

"What are you talking about?"

Ferdinand shook his head. "While humility is a virtue, too much of it can be a problem, Professor. Do not think that we have missed the fact that you only recently acquired new clothing."

"Hm…" Petra placed a hand on her chin and said, "Is lacking money being the reason why the professor is skipping meals?"

Bernie gasped. "That's right! Professor Byleth mentioned that it had been a while since he had a good meal yesterday when talking to Mercie!"

Delly's frown deepened and she gave me a long look.

…Alright. I wasn't just feeling the start of a headache. At that point, I had a full-migraine.

Before I could say anything, Stella gave a deep bow.

"Thank you, everyone!"

What are you doing, Sothis?

_They will not listen to you in any case, so why not accept? _

It's just a misunderstanding.

_A very deep one, born from your inattentiveness to your own well-being. But is it that much of a concern? Do you truly wish to do everything yourself that much?_

Sothis. One word: Alchemy.

_And do you not think they will find it suspicious for you to suddenly acquire a vast amount of gold or precious gemstones?_

Tomorrow's Saturday! I could just say I raided some bandit dens or something!

Stella raised her head and smiled. "While my brother is too self-sacrificing to accept your aid, I will do so in his stead and inform you if we face any difficulties."

I let out a long sigh and messed up Stella's hair. "Fine. Now, go sit down so I can actually start this lecture for once."

Stella glared at me and then walked over to sit next to Edelgard.

Delly looked a bit surprised by that, as well as contemplative, but then she turned back to look at me, rapt with attention. When she did that, everyone else focused as well, like an unspoken signal was passed on.

…Huh. I hadn't noticed it, but I guess Delly did give off Student President vibes.

I shook my head and walked over to the board, picking up a piece of chalk. "Since there's not much daylight and the weather is pretty terrible, we'll be having an ordinary lecture today. I'd recommend you guys to take some notes, since it's about time I gave you all a proper assignment to grade before Seteth gets on my back about things. I've been on his good side recently, and I'd like to keep it that way."

A bit of laughter echoed in the room, and then there was the sound of bags opening, as well as ruffling papers.

While everyone was getting ready, I quickly went over what I'd be covering today.

General combat principles… well, to start with we should go over the types of attacks…

"Hm?" Delly spoke up and said, "Did you forget to bring supplies, Stella?"

My dear sister looked at me and frowned. "…I suppose my dear brother forgot that fact while preparing today's lessons."

Dorothea turned to look at me and said, "Really not making a good case for not being in debt, Professor… but here, Stella." The former idol dug in her purse and pulled out a thin notebook and some pencils. "It's not much, but I always carry a bit extra in case someone forgets… like Caspar."

"Hey!" The blue-haired brawler frowned and said, "I remembered this time!"

"Sure, 'big bro'. Whatever you say."

"Gah! I thought you weren't going to keep calling me that!"

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

This… was going to be one of those days, wasn't it?

* * *

"…To summarize, the basic types of attacks consist of arcs, lines, and points. While more advanced combat styles will bend these rules, at their core-"

A familiar melody echoed in the distance, played by a bell. The main Fire Emblem theme. After that, there were twelve chimes. Noon.

I glanced out the window to see that the rain had let up, a bit of sun shining through. "…We'll continue this after lunch, I suppose."

"Finally!" Caspar jumped out of his seat and said, "I'm starved!"

Linhardt yawned and said, "Don't forget that you owe me lunch, Caspar."

The blue-haired brawler froze and then sighed. "That's right… guess only one portion for me today. Come on, Linhardt."

After they left, Ferdinand stood up and turned towards Dorothea. "Would you care to join me for a meal, Dorothea?"

The former idol put a hand on her chin, thinking for a bit, and then shook her head. "I'd love to, Ferdie… but not today. I've already promised to meet someone today."

"Ah." Ferdinand shook his head. "Then perhaps dinner or tea later?"

"Hm…" Dorothea tilted her head and said, "How about we meet in the library later to go over today's lecture?"

Ferdinand smiled. "Wonderful. It is a da-"

"Oh, I should get going." Dorothea picked up her purse and waved. "Be back soon, Professor! Ferdie!" With that, she left

Ferdinand sighed.

Stella walked around and patted Ferdinand's shoulder. "There, there. It is not your fault that your arrogance is unbecoming."

Ferdinand smiled. "Thank you for your kind words, Stella- Wait. Arrogance?"

I sighed.

Well… at least I wasn't the only target of Sothis's sharp tongue now.

Delly shook her head and said, "Ignore her, Ferdinand. I'm sure Dora didn't mean to slight you."

He shook his head. "No, I see how it is. After all, I never cleared up the misunderstanding between us, so this much is to be expected." Ferdinand sighed and headed out. "Perhaps I shall see if Lorenz is busy. I could use a cup of tea…"

Petra finished scribbling some notes in her journal and then stood up and turned towards Bernie. "Would you be caring for lunch with me, Bernadetta? I am wanting to talk about the hunting trip we planned."

"Oh, that's right!" Bernie scrambled to get up and said, "Sorry, Petra!"

"It is fine. Shall we be going?" After saying that, Petra started walking out.

Bernie ran over to catch up with her and said, "So what kind of bow and what type arrows should I bring?"

"Bow? Arrows? You are only needing a knife, Bernadetta."

"…A knife?"

Like that, only Delly, Stella, and myself remained in the classroom.

I sighed and walked over to my podium.

The moment I did, Delly called out.

"My teacher," she said. "Are you not going to lunch?"

"Hm?" I shook my head and flipped through some of my notes. "Nah, it's fine. I need to go over the lesson plan anyway-"

"Absolutely not!" Stella marched over and grabbed my arm, pulling me away from my podium.

"Hey!"

She narrowed her eyes and said, "Do you not recall how thin you are? Even in the party, you did not eat much!"

"Hey! I ate some stuff!"

Delly frowned. "…Your sister has a point, my teacher. You do appear quite a bit thinner than usual… Though I suppose my condition probably plays into that…"

I shook my head. "Don't start with the self-pity, Delly. That has nothing to do with it."

Stella stared at me.

"What? It doesn't. I just honestly forgot to eat. I don't really get hungry, so it just slips my mind."

An unexpected but convenient consequence of having an arm passively drawing in and circulating mana and a Crest Stone for a heart.

"And this is why we are going straight to the cafeteria, dear brother of mine."

I frowned. "I don't-"

Stella glared at me.

I sighed. "Fine." I set my notes down and looked over at Delly. "Care to join us, Delly?"

"That-"

Stella let go of me and then walked over to Delly, grabbing her left arm. After that, she walked back over and grabbed my right arm. "We are all going to go to the cafeteria and enjoy a nice warm meal, whether you like it or not. I refuse to have either of you collapse in the near future from a lack of self-care."

* * *

I smirked. "So what was that about enjoying a nice warm meal?"

We were in the cafeteria, seated at a table in the corner of the room away from other students. Stella was to my right, while Delly sat across from me.

My dear sister stared into her tray of Saghert and Cream, poking it with a fork. "This… who in their right mind thought it fitting to put such an abominable thing on an otherwise perfect dish?!" She lifted up a green pea with her fork and grimaced.

"Come on, sis. It's just some veggies. Don't tell me I have to force feed you?"

Stella scoffed and turned her head. "I am no child, Byleth! This…" She glanced at the pea in her fork and said, "This is merely a vegetable. A tiny foe. Completely harmless. Thus… I simply must… eat it. Yes. That is all I must do. Eat it. Open my mouth, place it within, and- mmph?!"

Delly chuckled and said, "That was mean, my teacher."

I pulled back the spoon of Saghert and Cream I'd stuffed in Stella's mouth and shrugged. "She was stalling."

Stella glared at me with teary blue eyes. "How dare you!"

"Like I just said to Delly, you were stalling. Besides, it's not _that_ bad, is it?"

"…I suppose…"

I nodded. "Then eat up. You can't just skip a meal because there's something… you don't like?" I trailed off when I noticed that Delly was eating as well, but purposefully avoiding the green peas.

She flushed when she noticed me staring. "W-What?"

I sighed and scooped up a spoonful before leaning over the table. "Here."

Delly flushed and glanced around the cafeteria. "Th-that… my teacher! You cannot expect me to-"

"Open up."

"I-I… will not!"

"Delly." I frowned. "You need all the nutrients you can get. I am not going to have you faint on me because you didn't have enough vitamins since you skipped eating some vegetables."

"B-But I- Mmph!"

I stuck the spoon in her mouth as well and then pulled it out.

Delly swallowed, but she sent me a glare as well.

I shrugged and went back to eating my food, scooping up a bit of the Saghert and Cream for myself.

Sweet and sour. A bit fruity and tart, with some hints of peach and a weird berry taste. Not my exact favorite, but also not bad.

"…Unbelievable." Stella muttered and shook her head.

"What?"

Delly flushed a deep red and lowered her gaze, silently eating her food.

Stella rolled her eyes and went back to eating her food as well.

I felt like I was missing something… but since they weren't speaking up, it apparently wasn't important enough to mention.

I shrugged and went back to eating my food. It was a pretty decent portion, actually. About the size of a medium pan… though that made sense considering the fact that students were training for combat. They'd need the extra calories.

I took another bite and then I noticed that Delly was eyeing my spoon. I paused and scooped up a bit and held it out to her. "Did you want some more?"

"Ye- I mean, no." Delly shook her head and said, "I was simply wondering how close you and your sister were."

Seeing that Delly had declined, I finished eating the bit I'd scooped up. After that, I shrugged. "It's a love and hate relationship."

Stella stomped on my foot.

"…See?"

Delly glanced between us and said, "And… how long have you known each other? I do not believe I remember you ever mentioning you had a sister."

Stella took another bite from her food, grimacing as she chewed a green pea, and then said, "Byleth and I have known each other our entire lives. It is just that circumstances have kept us apart until recently."

"…Is that so?" Delly gave me a look, one that said she didn't buy it.

At that time, someone walked over to Delly. "So this is where you guys were hiding, huh Edie?" Dorothea smiled and sat down, placing her plate on the table.

Delly frowned. "I thought you had a date?"

Dorothea shrugged. "I did, but he kept looking at my eyes… and not these eyes." She gestured towards her face. "Haah… why can't there be any more good and responsible men like you, Professor?"

I ate another bite from my food and said, "Well… Ferd's not that bad, you know."

"Ferdie?" Dorothea frowned. "…I suppose. But he's always so stuck up and arrogant, you know? I mean, a bit of confidence goes a long way, but…"

Delly shook her head and said, "He's better than that, Dora. I'd give him another chance."

Dorothea sighed. "Well, if you say that he's fine, I guess I'll give him a shot."

"Wait. Were you not serious about going up to meet with him to go over lecture notes?"

"Hm?" Dorothea blinked. "Oh, that's right." She shook her head. "I almost forgot about that."

Ouch. Poor Ferd.

"In any case," Delly said. "I believe you were elaborating on your relationship with your sister, my teacher?"

"Oh, really?" Dorothea smiled. "Guess I got here just in time, huh? I was wondering about that." She glanced at Stella and said, "What was it like having an overprotective brother like Professor growing up."

Stella shook her head. "I would not know. As I was just explaining to my brother's beloved princess, Byleth and I have known each other our whole lives, but were only recently reunited."

"Hm?" Dorothea frowned. "What do you mean?"

Stella let out a long sigh and lowered her gaze.

…You're going to play it up again, aren't you?

_You know me well._

Alright. I'll just finish eating then…

Stella went on a whole soapbox story about her mother's whirlwind romance with my dad, me coming across her when she was younger and secretly sending letters to keep in contact, as well as her mother's tragic death and last wish to reunite with me and my dad.

In the meantime, I munched down on the Saghert and Cream. After a few bites, it was kind of growing on me.

When Stella finished, Dorothea was wiping away tears. "That's… so tragic…"

I glanced over to see that my dear sister was doing the same.

Stella shook her head and said, "I-I am just grateful I was able to reunite with my dear brother again."

Dorothea nodded, a teary smile on her face.

Delly, however, looked like she was having none of it.

…Probably because she knew it was fake.

Still, my princess was polite enough to at least not bring it up.

I sighed and said, "My dear sister can be a bit overdramatic, Dorothea. Try not to hold it against her."

"Hold it against her? Such a lovely thing?" Dorothea shook her head and then looked at my sister. "Stella… with such a name, your beauty, and your voice… are you sure you don't have any interest in joining the opera house? Trust me, it's like a big family there. I'm sure that I could get you a good recommendation from Professor Manuela and, not to tout my own horn of course, but I have quite a bit of influence over there as well. Studying to fight in war like us…" Dorothea frowned. "Someone like you shouldn't be doing that."

Before I could say anything, Stella shook her head and grabbed my arm. "Never. My place is at Byleth… at my brother's side."

Dorothea shook her head. "I get that being a mercenary and fighting runs in the family, but-"

"I will not change my mind."

Dorothea sighed.

…Are you sure you're not getting caught up in the act, Sothis?

_Hmph. Have I spoken a lie yet?_

…No, but-

I cut off my train of thought when I noticed Delly glaring at Stella.

She noticed me and then blushed, turning away.

Dorothea smiled and said, "Jealous, Edie?"

"What? Of course not." Delly shook her head. "How could I be jealous my By- my teacher's younger sister?"

Dorothea rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, Edie. Being a little jealous is fine. I mean, look at her!" She gestured towards Stella and said, "If Professor is Mister Tall Dark and Handsome, Stella is Little Miss Perfect. Those clear blue eyes, that soft, midnight blue hair like the deep ocean waves…" She turned to me and said, "You know, Professor, you might be dealing with a line of potential suitors soon."

I laughed.

Stella frowned and stomped on my foot.

Dorothea leaned back, shocked. "Professor?"

Whoops. Broke character there for a bit. But… suitors? For Sothis? Not only would they have to get past me, but with how she'd wrapped Seteth around her little finger, they'd have to get past him, my dad, de facto captain of the Knights of Seiros, and, the greatest obstacle of all, a Rhea who would literally lead a crusade if she found out the true identity of my dear sister.

I shook my head and said, "Sorry. It's just… I feel sorry for the poor sap who falls in love with my dear sister. They'd have better odds trying to kill me than getting her attention, let alone affection."

Stella pouted and poked me. "How rude! I am not that bad!"

Dorothea laughed. "How unfortunate. Looks like you'll be stuck with her forever then, Professor?"

"Trust me, I'm already resigned to that fact." I sighed and said, "Now, if only it was Delly instead…"

"My teacher!"

I smiled.

* * *

After that lively lunch, we returned to the classroom to finish my lecture.

"…And so I expect a paper detailing practical applications of the general combat principles I laid out today by Monday. I don't care too much about the length, but I do want some thought put into it that showed you considered what works and what doesn't work. Keep in mind that any sign of slacking will be met with a practical demonstration."

The familiar chime of the Fire Emblem theme echoed again across the monastery, along with four bell chimes.

I set down the piece of chalk I'd been using as a makeshift pointer and said, "That's it from me, I guess."

Caspar stretched and got out of his seat. "Come on, Linhardt! Let's go test it out!"

The sleepy student sighed. "Only if you buy me dinner afterwards. Knowing you, we'll be at it for a while."

After those two left, the others starting filtering out as well.

Petra grabbed Ferdinand to spar, wanting to work out some of her flaws against his stable skills.

Dorothea invited Bernie out for tea, saying that she recently came across some sweets.

And then, like before, it was just me, Delly, and Stella.

My dear sister let out a long sigh. "Byleth. Do I truly have to undergo such a mundane task?"

I walked over to the chalkboard and started erasing the diagrams I'd used for my lecture. "If I have to suffer through grading them, you can bet I'll take every chance I can get to share that misery."

Delly laughed. "I don't think Seteth would appreciate hearing you say that, my teacher."

"Yeah well, he's not-" I paused, remembering what happened the last time I brought him up, and glanced out the door. Thankfully, he wasn't there. "…Here. And it's in my policy to be as transparent with my students as possible, up to and including how much of a pain it is to grade their work."

Delly smiled and got up, walking towards the door.

I thought she was going to leave, so I ignored her and went back to erasing the chalkboard.

And then I heard the door close with a thud, and then the soft _click_ that came with it locking.

I frowned and turned around. "Delly?"

She walked towards me, stopping only when she was a single step away. "My teacher… no, my Byleth. While the others might have bought your story, I know better." She glanced at Stella and said, "Who is she?"

Stella stretched in her seat and smirked. "What? Jealous, fair princess?"

"No. I simply wish to ensure that my Byleth is not being fooled." She shook her head and stared into my eyes. "You are aware of our enemies, as well as their abilities. How can you be certain that her words are true and not manufactured?"

I brushed off the chalk dust from my hands. After that, I said, "Trust me, Delly, I'm sure about sister's true identity."

Delly frowned. "But you did not have a sister in the-" She cut herself off and glanced at Stella.

"Don't worry about it, Delly. She knows."

That seemed to bring up only more questions in Delly's mind, judging from how her eyes kept shifting, flipping through her memories.

Stella nodded and said, "I do indeed. And quite a bit more than you do, fair princess."

"But how can you _know_?" Delly shook her head. "When I was under _them_, their dark magic was capable of countless illusions, often making reality and illusion seem indistinguishable." She frowned. "My Byleth… my teacher. Do you… truly have a sister?"

"I-"

_A framed picture, a coffin, tears._

"-Do." I shook my head and said, "It's a bit complicated, but Stella here does share my blood."

"Your blood?" Delly looked confused for a moment and then her eyes widen. "Could it be that she is-"

I placed a finger on her lips before she could finish and shook my head.

Delly nodded and I lowered my hand. After that, she said, "Well, whatever the case, I can see that you two at the least truly treat each other as family." She turned to Stella and said, "I suppose I should offer a proper introduction then."

"There is no need for that." Stella shook her head and said, "I am fully aware of who you are." She smiled and stood up from her chair, slowly walking toward the princess. "Edelgard von Hresvelg. Or, as my dear brother likes to call you, Delly, his lovely princess that he just cannot stop thinking about."

I frowned. "Stella. That's-"

"Did you know that he has had his eye on you since you two met? In fact, he was even willing to throw his life away for your sake. Ah, of course you would not be able to remember- mmph!"

I clamped my hands around Sothis's mouth. "My dear sister is a bit… mouthy. Do try to ignore what she says."

Sothis! What are you doing!?

She didn't answer me. Instead, she broke free and ran to hide behind Delly. "Hmph! Meanie."

Delly frowned. "Yes… you are being quite cruel to your sister, my Byleth."

I threw my hands in the air. "Sure! Of course. It's all me." I shook my head. "Gah… what I wouldn't give for some coffee…"

Alcohol would be better, but considering I couldn't get drunk… at least I could be certain caffeine would do its thing.

While I rued my life decisions, Stella tugged on Delly's arm. "Hey, Delly. Could you take me shopping?"

I frowned. "It's not polite to ask others for money, sister of mine."

Stella rolled her eyes. "You are broke and our father is out on a mission. Who else am I to ask?"

"I'm broke because of you, thank you very much. Besides, what do you even need to buy?"

Alchemy, remember?

Stella shifted her gaze and said, "…Things."

"Things?"

"Y-You know! The… the… things!" She blushed, but didn't elaborate.

Sothis, if it's something you can't say out loud-

_You dense fool! _

"What?"

Stella averted her gaze and looked up at Delly.

My princess seemed confused for a bit, but then she seemed to have an epiphany. "Ah." She nodded. "I understand, Stella."

"Wait, you do?"

Delly smiled. "As skilled and knowledgeable as you may be, my beloved teacher, there are certain things of which you are unaware."

"And those are?"

Delly shook her head.

Stella shifted in place next to her.

Sothis? Explain.

_…It would appear that this body of mine is a bit… too realistic. Furthermore… I did not realize it earlier, but 'that' is happening._

That?

_Do not act so clueless! It is what all females undergo!"_

"…Oh. OH." I shook my head. "Yes… right. That. Those things."

Delly smiled, an amused glint in her eyes. "You realized it?"

"Yeah… thanks. Could you help her get squared away with that? With the explanations too, if you would. Obviously I won't be any help."

Stella turned a deep crimson and glared at me. Though, with her looks, it came off as more cute than intimidating.

Delly laughed. "Of course. Then… I will leave with your sister for a while."

"Wait."

"Hm?"

I took off the dagger I usually carried with me and stared at it. With what I knew now about dark magic and Crests… and considering how dangerous things could get if the Agarthans got ahold of Sothis, I decided to make some insurance.

I drew the dagger from its sheath and cut the palm of my hand.

Delly's eyes widened. "What are you-"

"Insurance."

I focused and then weaved the pattern of the Crest of Aubin throughout the blade, using my blood as a catalyst. When it was done, the dagger looked the same, but had changed on a fundamental level.

…And I was still bleeding out. Should have thought that through a bit more.

I shook my head and then sheathed my dagger again before handing it to Stella. "Take this with you. It'll only work once before shattering, but it should be good enough to buy time to either escape or for me to reach you."

Stella sighed. "You self-sacrificing fool." She took the dagger from my bleeding hand. At the same time, her own hands lit up with a faint white light. When our hands made contact, my cut healed, leaving unblemished skin behind.

Stella shook her head and said, "I could have defended myself well enough on my own."

"I know. But… still."

"Um…" Delly spoke up. " You_ do _realize that we will not go beyond the monastery walls, my Byleth."

"Oh. Right."

I forgot about that. Anna and those other merchants should be on the south side of the monastery, shouldn't they?

"Again," Stella said. "Self-sacrificing fool." She shook her head and then grabbed Delly's arm. "Let us go, my cute sister-in-law."

Delly's eyes widened. "S-Sister-in-law?"

Mine did too. "Wait, Stella, what are you saying?"

She stuck out her tongue at me and quickly dragged Delly away. Stella opened the door and walked through it, chatting the entire time. "What? Do not tell me you do not intend to marry my brother. I can assure you that he…"

Their voices trailed off into the distance.

For a moment, I considered following them… and then I realized why Stella had been so irritated the whole day and thought better of it.

"Right… Guess I should go check up with Hanneman then."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Whew. This went on longer than I thought. Fluff just seems to keep rolling on like a dust bunny and accumulate...

On one hand, I enjoy writing and reading it. On the other... I know what's going to happen later on in the plot now and I'm itching to get there.

Still, better to not rush I guess.

Thanks as always for reading and leaving any input.

Hope the chapter was enjoyable, and I'll see you tomorrow.


	46. Liquid Gold

When I entered the Blue Lions classroom, most of the students had already left. Only Dimitri and Hanneman remained, the two of them hanging around the podium.

Dimitri noticed when I walked in and waved. "Hello, Byleth! Did you need something?"

Hanneman looked over as well and nodded. "Yes, hello there, Byleth."

I glanced at the two of them and frowned. "Did I interrupt something? I can come back if you're busy."

Dimitri shook his head. "It's fine. I was simply going over the roster and formation for the mock battle with Professor Hanneman."

"Oh?"

Dimitri smiled. "Yes. I am afraid that you and the others will be in for quite the fight. Ah, but it would spoil the fun if I told you now, would it not?" He glanced back at Hanneman and said, "Have a good weekend, Professor Hanneman."

The Crest Scholar nodded and said, "You as well, young Dimitri."

"Take care, Byleth." Dimitri nodded at me in farewell and then left.

"You too, Dimitri." When he was gone, I walked into the classroom. Idly, I noticed the chalkboard was filled with a vast array of arrows and marks, formations from what I could guess. I still didn't understand any of the formal notations for tactics that they used here in Fodlan though, so I couldn't read it.

I shifted my gaze back to Hanneman and said, "You seem to have had a productive class."

Hanneman closed a tome he had on the podium and nodded. "Yes… there was much ground that I needed to cover as a result of my absence these past days. Thankfully, the students have been understanding and young Dimitri is a skilled leader."

"That so?"

"Indeed." Hanneman adjusted his monocle and said, "He has quite the grasp on small scale tactics. While his understanding of overarching strategies upon a long campaign is still lacking, there is no mistaking his talent for skirmishes or minor clashes. I am afraid that I will have to agree with his assessment that the mock battle may not go as easy as it would seem."

Small scale tactics and skirmishes, huh? Just as I'd expected. Claude would probably be the opposite of that then, focusing on overarching strategy and unpredictable maneuvers…

"Hm… guess the mock battle will be interesting, at least. I might need to carry everyone a bit more than I thought…"

The other houses had their trumps in their war experience. Ours… the Black Eagles had me and the carefully tailored training plans I gave to my students to improve and amplify their strengths based on various retailored combat theories. One on one, or maybe in pairs, we would be fine. But I was starting to get the feeling it wouldn't be that simple…

"Quite." Hanneman picked up his tome and said, "But enough of that, Byleth. Did you wish to speak with me?"

"I did, actually." I pulled out my journal from my coat and handed it over. "It's about that project we have."

"Hm?" Hanneman took the journal from me and started flipping through. "This… I see. So the interplay between the nerves and… Ah. In that case it is possible for mana to flow…" Hanneman muttered for a bit more and then shut the journal, carefully tucking it in his coat. "This will help quite a bit in my research. With this… while I cannot guarantee a time period, I would say that what was impossible is now at least plausible."

"And that is…?"

"The removal of a Crest, of course. At least, that is the safest option I have found to treat Miss Hresvelg."

I nodded.

That was good. So there was a bit of progress on that front then-

"Wait." I frowned. "Safest? You mean you figured out other ways?"

Hanneman nodded. "Of course. Ah, but before then should we make our way to my office?" He glanced around and said, "I don't believe this is the best place to have this conversation."

"Ah, right, right."

I'd forgotten where we were for a bit.

Hanneman frowned. "Are you busy? I believe this discussion will take quite some time."

"Hm… well, my dear sister will be a bit upset, but it should work out. She knows how to get in my room if need be."

"Sister?"

I paused. "Oh, right. I haven't introduced her to everyone else yet." I shook my head. "Well… I guess I'll explain on the way and clarify once we get there."

* * *

Hanneman placed a cup of coffee down on the table in the middle of his office and said, "I see. Such a thing was possible?"

I nodded and then took a seat at the table. After that, I took a look around his office.

Like before, wards and silence spells lined the walls, preventing anyone from eavesdropping. I noticed that they were more refined though, lacking even the tiniest of flaws. It seemed like Hanneman was a quick study.

Other than that, the most noticeable thing was the fact that his office was actually tidy. Most of the scattered notes and tomes were missing. While there were a few pieces of equipment laying around like vials, droppers, syringes, and his portable Crest scanner, the only other things were a few pieces of scrap paper and what looked like assignments.

"Did you decide to do some cleaning?"

Hanneman poured himself a cup of coffee from a thermos and then sat down across from me. "It was inevitable. With the latest avenue of research you provided me, it would be impossible to store the information otherwise. Ah, but you needn't worry. My notes have simply been moved to the library." He took a sip from his cup and said, "Young Lysithea and Linhardt have been quite eager to aid with that."

I took a sip from my coffee as well. Bitter, but nostalgic. It definitely helped ease the headache I'd had all day from dealing with Sothis's antics as Stella.

"So, you were speaking about your sister?"

"Ah, right." I frowned. "It's… complicated and involves a lot of miraculous coincidences resulting in her being… born? Created? With mana and my blood. I'd explain a bit more, but I'm still trying to sort out the proper back story so as to not cause a giant ruckus when the Archbishop returns."

"Yes… I could see how that would be the case. With you as the incarnation of the Progenitor God, creating life itself… well, let us say that I would not be surprised if your life became quite a bit more hectic."

"Hah. I see you've got a sense of humor, Hanneman."

He smirked. "A bit of levity is needed to enjoy life. After all, it is far too serious in its own right…" He trailed off and then shook his head. "Regardless, your 'sister'… Stella, was it?"

"That's right."

"So Stella was born from your blood and mana. Hm." Hanneman frowned and held up his chin with his right hand. "The scriptures speak of the Goddess performing a similar miracle… but her children all possessed different Crests." He looked at me and said, "Yet your sister does not?"

I shook my head. "She has the Crest of Seiros and the Crest of Flames."

"So that of your father and the one of the Goddess herself." Hanneman frowned. "That is… plausible. Yet… Hm. It does not align with what I have discovered in researching your blood."

"Hm?"

"Ah." Hanneman shook his head. "My apologies. I am getting ahead of myself. One moment." He stood up and walked over to his cabinet. Opening it, he pulled out what looked like a stack of glass slides and walked back over. "You see, given your nature, I was quite curious about the interaction between your blood and that of others."

"Oh? What did you find out."

Hanneman placed the stack of slides on the table and frowned. "The results were… quite unexpected."

"Unexpected?" I furrowed my brows and said, "It should just be straight forward, right? Crest of Seiros and Crest of Flames?"

"I had believed so as well. Yet… well, first of all, would you allow me to test your blood again? A fresh sample if you would."

"Sure."

Hanneman stood up and grabbed a syringe, as well as his portable Crest Scanner. After sterilizing the syringe with a fire spell, he gestured towards my arm. "If you would."

I held it out to him.

Hanneman drew a vial of blood with the syringe and then healed my arm with Faith magic. Afterwards, he held up the Crest Scanner to the vial. When he did… "Hm. It is as I thought."

"What is it?"

Hanneman handed both over. "See for yourself. Simply hold the Crest Scanner over the vial."

I did and… it came up blank. "Huh?"

Confused, I handed the vial back to Hanneman and then placed the scanner over my left arm, specifically where the Crests I'd traced were burned in.

Again, blank. Not a single beep or flash from the device.

I frowned and then traced out the Crest of Indech. Only then did the device react, showing the Crest of Indech in its screen.

"As I thought." Hanneman nodded and then looked at me. "Byleth. It would appear that your blood… no, that your Crests are not present in your blood."

"Wait." I held up my hand and wracked my head for a bit. "That… doesn't make sense." I'd created Sothis's new body using my blood as a base and she ended up having the Crest of Seiros and the Crest of Flames. And if I closed my eyes to focus, I could sense traces of both flowing around my body, so…

"On the contrary," Hanneman said. "I believe it makes perfect sense. With such adept control over mana, what need is there for you to use your blood as a catalyst to carry the Crests? You have already proven otherwise, have you not?"

I paused. "That… makes sense." Could it be then that my mana just… coursed throughout my body passively? Not in my blood, but in a different circuit? But…

"Regardless of the presence or absence of Crests in your blood, Byleth, I cannot deny that your blood has interesting interactions with other types of blood." He started placing the slides on the table and said, "Before we can see the effects of your blood, I have taken the liberty to prepare a few slides to illustrate the differences. These first two are Crest blood with Crestless blood and then Crest blood with Crest blood… different Crests, of course."

I nodded and examined the slides.

The first was a creepy sight. Like most blood slides, there was a drop of blood on the glass. However, that drop of red blood was laced with black threads.

The second slide, however, didn't even look like a blood slide. Instead of red, there was just a black mass, shriveled up like burnt skin.

"As you can see," Hanneman said. "The domineering effects of Crest blood can be seen in both. In the first, it has completely infested the Crestless blood while in the second, the fight for dominancy has eradicated all vibrancy in the blood. But then… there is your blood."

He placed down the remaining two slides. "At first," Hanneman said. "I believed there would be a similar effect as Crestless blood when interacting with Crest blood. After all, I could not detect any signs of Crests within the sample you provided. And yet…"

The slide he placed down was pure red, as if a drop of blood was freshly prepared.

I frowned. "How old is this slide?"

"How old would you believe it is?"

"…A day?"

Hanneman smiled and shook his head. "It is not. This particular slide… prior to adding your blood, it had been one I'd kept for a year."

"Wait, what?"

I glanced at the slide again. "Do you mind if I take a closer look?"

"Feel free." Hanneman waved his hand.

I picked up the slide and shifted it around. The blood freely moved, as if fresh. Yet, if this was a year old…

"A rejuvenating effect?"

"Ah." Hanneman adjusted his monocle. "Of course you would figure it out. And yes. From the tests I have performed, when your blood is added to Crest blood, it returns to a state as if freshly drawn."

"Then can't we treat Delly- ah, I mean Edelgard right now? She just needs a blood transfusion then, right?"

The problem with her body came from her Crests going berserk. If my blood had rejuvenating effects, it should restore everything to normal, right?

Hanneman sighed. "I see you came to the same conclusion."

I frowned. "From that tone of voice, it doesn't sound like it worked, did it?"

Hanneman placed the last slide in front of me. "It did not. In fact… well, see for yourself."

Like the others, it was another slide with a drop of blood. At least, it should have been. But…

The slide with different Crest blood had resulted in a black, shriveled up mass. Yet, the slide in front of me… it was still a black mass. But instead of being shriveled up, it was pulsing, like a malignant tumor.

"Damn. So it's not that simple, huh?"

Hanneman nodded. "I suspect that the rejuvenating effect of your blood came into play as expected. However, as a result…"

"The effect became more pronounced."

"Precisely."

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. "That… damn. Does she actually have cancer?"

The first thought running through my mind was that it was just the interplay between my blood and the combination of Crest of Flames and the Crest of Seiros. Yet, I had definitely gotten some of my blood on Sothis's blood when I was making her body and I didn't see anything like that.

"…Would a transfusion fix the problem?"

Hanneman sighed. "It… might. Yet, it might just as readily amplify the problem. Were you considering asking your sister to donate some blood?"

I nodded.

It was an unexpected coincidence, but it meant that Sothis was a good match for a transfusion since they shared Crests.

Hanneman shook his head. "Unless you happen to know a way to completely substitute an entire human body's worth of blood in an instant without resulting in death, both for the donor and receiver, I do not believe it is possible."

…I did. But at the same time, knowing that didn't help. It was possible on Earth due to all the blood banks and donations, but here… it couldn't work. Not without killing someone.

Moreover, now that I thought about it more, Delly's situation… it was basically magical leukemia. I highly doubted that just dialysis or transfusions would work.

"Dammit. So we need to figure out how to remove Crests after all."

Hanneman nodded. "That is the crux of the issue, yes."

I sighed and picked up the vial of my blood. "…Dammit. I thought this would be the key. The Crests are said to come from the Goddess's powers, so my blood should-"

Wait.

Rejuvenation.

Crests coming from blood…

"…Hanneman. Has there been a case recorded in history where a Saint bestowed their blood and the recipient _didn't_ receive a Crest?"

"Hm?" Hanneman frowned. "I… do not believe so. Is it significant?"

I stood up. "It might be… no, it is."

Scattered bits of information in my head were connecting.

Rhea gave her blood to all the higher ups without a problem. She even managed to bestow it to my dad, a commoner mercenary, and grant him the Major Crest of Seiros.

The Crest of Cethleann was passed down successfully as well, and knowing who that was, I doubted that she'd be as bubbly as she appeared to be if that had ever failed.

I thought Crests were just like blood types, with incompatibility resulting in death or complications. Yet, if that was the case, how did the Agarthan's balance Lysithea and Delly's Crests? If it was blood types, unless they had incredibly advanced genetic engineering, it was impossible. And, while their magic and weapons were advanced, I highly doubted that.

In a world where literal miracles and magic existed, there was no need to go that far. And Sothis herself had said it, right? That she was surprised at the depths Earth had gone to understand the innerworkings of the human body.

So Crests couldn't be blood types. If they were, there'd be a bigger case of rejection in the Saints bestowing their blood. That, and it would be fundamentally impossible to have multiple Crests in the blood without killing a person outright.

"Byleth?" Hanneman stared at me. "Did you realize something?"

I held up my right hand. "One moment."

Rejuvenation… the first generation of Crest wielders had enhanced longevity. That, and the Nabateans were essentially ageless, or at the least long lived. After all, Rhea still seemed as young as ever, despite her true identity.

It couldn't be blood types, otherwise there would be a rejection from the beginning. Crest might have seemed to be blood types way with how transfusions between Crest bearers failed, but… was that the case for humans only. Generations down the line.

Why?

The answer to that…

"Hanneman."

"Yes, Byleth?"

"…Is mana passed down in blood as well? You mentioned affinities being passed down between parents, right?"

Hanneman nodded. "Yes, at least according to the research done by my peers at the School of Sorcery."

I picked up my vial of blood again and stared at it. "…Blood. It carries mana and Crests. And my blood rejuvenates others. I thought it was just the cells, but… maybe not."

"Hm?" Hanneman frowned. "Cells?"

A fragment of a memory. Something my doctor mentioned to me once when I asked about donating blood.

"Liquid gold. That is what this is… no, a large part of what this is."

Hanneman shook his head. "I don't-"

I started pacing. "Blood is made up of more than just cells… it's also plasma. What carries the blood cells throughout the body… and mana as well. That explains the lack of rejection, as well as the possibility of multiple Crests. Mana… it should be continuous. Unbroken. Yet with dark magic… it could be ratioed out."

Plasma kept blood healthy, and healthy blood made the body healthy.

Instead of blood types… what if Crests were a result of donating plasma? Not the blood itself, but what carried the blood as well as what was dissolved within it?

I had already established that Crests were mana. I could use them just by tracing out the pattern they made.

The Agarthans, while advanced, had developed in a different direction scientifically. While Earth focused on dismantling the fundamental aspect of nature, they studied dismantling mana. Hence, Dark Magic: turning the infinite finite and the finite infinite.

Plasma had a delicate balance of chemicals inside of it. Hormones, proteins, antigens… and in this world, mana.

Considering that…

Nabateans had an enhanced type of plasma, maybe due to mana changing the nature of it. The blood of the Goddess herself… the Crest of Flames had an even more pronounced effect, capable of bringing people back from the brink of death, if not death itself.

And then there was me.

Hanneman said my blood lacked any Crests. Despite that, it had mana. I could clearly detect that from the sample I was holding. Not only that, but it was the purest form of mana, the result of my artificial crest in my left arm and my early experiments.

Then…

"I… figured it out."

What Crests were, how they were granted… and potentially how to fix Delly's problem.

"What?"

I shook my head and said, "This will take a while to explain, Hanneman… but if it's you, no, with you we can work this out."

* * *

By the time I left Hanneman's office, the moon was already rising in the sky.

Most of that time was spent ensuring that Hanneman had memorized everything I told him as well as to completely eradicate any traces of our research.

This… what we learned changed everything. And if the Agarthans picked it up, even a single scrap of information, it would be disastrous.

Plasma. That was the key to Crests. On Earth, blood plasma was called 'liquid gold' due to its life saving properties and its color. But here… it was literally that.

I had wondered why the weapon of the Saints differed so much from the Heroes' Relics. Why the Saint weapons were so elegant and seemed to be crafted from gold while the Heroes' Relics were made from bone and Crest Stones.

The reason was simple: distilled plasma from Nabateans… from dragons was literally liquid gold. The mana coursing through their veins also became imbued in the electrolytes, in the trace minerals contained in the plasma.

The result was a highly magical, durable, and fluid base material that could be used to coat, or even forge weapons bearing the characteristics of the owner that the blood plasma came from.

The Agarthans didn't realize that. I was sure of it. They were mistaken in believing that the power laid in the bones… which was partially true. Plasma cells were produced in bone marrow, so obviously the bones would have similar properties. Not to mention that bones were also mostly minerals…

However, if a weapon was forged entirely with blood plasma, it'd be incredibly powerful. And that was especially true for my own blood. After all, the fact that I could turn my dagger into one granting the Crest of Aubin was proof enough, wasn't it?

So, pure blood plasma from first generation Crest granters… or myself at least, were liquid gold. What then, of people like Hanneman?

One word: iron.

Humans had a lot of iron in their bodies. Whether from diet, trace amounts from water or otherwise, bits of iron were carried throughout humans in their blood.

I didn't know how or why, but the presence of that iron in the blood plasma, when distilled at least, resulted in a violent rejection process by the Crest mana, causing rapid expansion and corrosion.

At best, my guess was that the old folklore about iron being effective against the supernatural and the two repelling each other was literal in Fodlan.

Those with Crests had enough plasma inherited from Nabatean blood to neutralize that repulsion, and the degree of inherited plasma determined a Major or Minor Crest.

I exited the main building of the monastery and walked back to my room, still lost in thought.

Learning all of that… I had a good idea of what was wrong with Delly now.

The Agarthans had managed to break up the infinite mana into discrete pieces and carefully ratio it out. That was what allowed them to give additional Crests to people like Edelgard and Lysithea.

When Edelgard went to kill Tomas, he cast a dark magic spell on her. I didn't know what it was, but if I had to guess, that tinkered with the ratios of her human mana, the Crest of Seiros mana, and the Crest of Flames mana. As a result, her body was being torn apart.

The black lines scrawled across her skin were the result of the Crest mana rejecting her human blood and trying to seize control. Her cold body and overall lack of mana was a result of it being completely drained in that clash.

It also explained the 'parting gift' Solon left her. Fighting would cause the Crest mana to act up, granting her body temporary strength due to its fundamental nature… but it would also further diverge the proper ratios, leading to a greater rejection factor.

Like how poison and medicine were two sides of the same coin…

"Where in the world is that fool brother of mine?!"

I blinked. It seemed that I'd arrived in front of my room while lost in thought.

"I am curious as well. To think that he skipped dinner… It would appear that my teacher's hypocrisy is beginning to come into play."

I glanced at the sky.

…Yep. Dinner had finished a long time ago.

Well… at that point I could only grin and bear it."

I opened the door. The moment I did-

"There you are you blasted fool!" Stella jumped off from my bed, landing on the floor, and pointed at me. "Where in the world have you been?"

Delly stood up from her seat at my desk and crossed her arms. "Yes, my teacher. Where _have_ you been?"

A tense atmosphere. Well… like Hanneman said, a bit of levity helped, right?

I shrugged and said, "Isn't it obvious? I'm secretly the Flame Emperor, so I was out doing the usual rounds."

Stella crossed her arms and said, "You would do well to keep your wit in line, dear brother of mine." She narrowed her eyes and said, "Lest I resort to desperate measures."

Delly narrowed her eyes as well. "I agree with Stella, my teacher. Such a statement… even in jest, it could have dire consequences."

I closed the door behind me and walked inside. "Yeah, well I had to say something to lighten up the mood, didn't I?"

"And you chose that of all things, my teacher?" She shook her head. "Perhaps Stella is right about the stress of teaching wearing down on your mind…"

I frowned and looked at Stella. "What have you been telling her?"

Stella huffed and said, "The truth! You have been neglecting your health this entire time, and now you return having skipped dinner doing who knows what!"

"For your information, I was having a very involved theoretical discussion with Hanneman about how to cure Delly. And we made quite a few breakthroughs. That, I think, is worth missing a meal or two." I leaned against the wall and said, "After all… time is running out."

Delly shook her head. "Even if that is the case, my teacher… I do not wish for you to sacrifice your health for the sake of my own."

Delly was calling me teacher again instead of by my name… it looked like she was seriously upset.

Stella nodded. "Do you never consider the feelings of others, dear brother of mine?"

I narrowed my eyes, opened my mouth to argue… and then I remembered why Sothis went shopping and decided against it. "You know what? Sure. This is my fault. I'll do better next time."

"Hmph." Stella walked back to sit on my bed and said, "I will hold you to those words, brother."

I sighed and then looked to Delly. "Anyway, shopping trip go over well?"

Delly still seemed a bit upset, but she nodded and said, "It did. While there was a bit of a… situation, shall we say, involving Claude and Sylvain, overall it went well, my teacher."

"Claude? Sylvain?"

Stella huffed. "Those two had the nerve to flirt with me. Me!" She shook her head. "This divine beauty of mine is truly a curse…"

I frowned. "Sylvain makes sense, but Claude…?"

Hm. He made a crack about me having a sister one time… I thought it strange, but maybe there was more to it? Was the 'Byleth' in his timeline female Byleth? Or… hm.

Stella shook her head. "Enough about those boorish fools." She looked at me and said, "You spoke of breakthroughs with Hanneman?"

I nodded. "That's right." I glanced at Delly and smiled. "It won't be long until we get you back just as good as- no, better than before."

Her eyes widened. "That… truly, my Byleth?"

Back to calling me by name. That was a start.

I smiled. "Told you, didn't I? I'm not about to let some slimy bastards get away with messing with you. Though… how are you holding up?"

Delly flinched. Only slightly, and then she said, "It is fine."

"You should not lie, princess." Stella sighed and shook her head before turning to me. "During the entire trip, Delly was shivering, my brother. I do not believe she is as 'fine' as she says she is."

Delly crossed her arms and glared at Stella. "You promised to keep that a secret, Stella."

"I despise those who do not take care of themselves and lie about their health." Stella shook her head and said, "Particularly when it could pertain to life and death. Furthermore… both of you are vital to the Black Eagles. What shall we do if either of you fall ill?"

"That…" Delly sighed. "I suppose you have a point."

I frowned. "You've been cold?"

Delly nodded. "A little, my Byleth."

"Any pain?"

She shook her head. "Just… cold."

"…Give me your hand."

"Hm?"

I shook my head. "Just do it."

"That…" Delly shifted her eyes towards Stella.

My sister rolled her eyes and said, "Stop being so shy. Or do I have to explain to my brother about how you-"

"N-No!" Delly shook her head and then held out her hand. "H-Here you are, my Byleth."

For a split second, I recalled that one Monarch Studies book… but then I threw that thought away and focused.

…Like before, her hand was cold. Ice cold, like a corpse. There was a lack of mana as well… no. Not a lack. An insufficiency. All of her mana was being drawn elsewhere, so that left her body cold and pale.

Still, from what I could tell her mana was… stable. At least for the time being. But as for her being cold…

I walked over to my wardrobe and dug around for my long coat. The one that I'd originally had, but Sothis remade. I found it and then handed it over to Delly. "You probably don't have a coat, right? Here. This should keep you warm."

Delly stared at it for a while and then smiled. "Thank you, my Byleth." She took it from me, and said, "I will cherish it."

I shook my head and frowned. "I expect you to use it. Ah, and don't worry about it being dirty. It might look the same as my old one, but that's brand new."

Stella shook her head. "Smooth."

"Hm?"

"Nothing." Stella sighed and then turned towards Delly. "But you have to take care of yourself, sister-in-law. It is a handful keeping my brother in line already, and I would like the first ally I have found in that regard to remain by my side."

Delly smiled. "Of course, Stella." She put on the coat. It was kind of ridiculous on her, considering how big my black long coat was, but it looked cute at least. After that, she turned to me and said, "Then… I will be leaving, my Byleth. I should probably check up on Hubert to ensure that he hasn't crossed over to the other side yet."

I scoffed. "That guy, die? As if. He'd probably meet death and steal the guy's scythe to come back and serve you, Delly."

Delly laughed. "True enough. Then… good night to you two."

I waved. "Night Delly. And remember to stay warm. If I hear that you've gotten sick…"

She smiled. "I will, my Byleth."

After those words and a warm smile, Delly left.

When the door closed, Stella let out a long sigh and shook her head. "Honestly, you could have at least offered to walk her back, Byleth. Or send her off with a kiss."

I locked the door and then walked over to my bed. "I think that Delly would take offense to that. She's not a weak princess waiting to be saved, you know?"

"Well, _obviously_. But that does not mean that she does not fantasize about such things." Stella shook her head. "How is it that you can be so perceptive and yet so ignorant at the same time?"

I sat down on my bed and took off my shoes. "Choice."

Stella scoffed. "Sure. Go on believing that, my dear brother." She shook her head and said, "In any case… you must be tired after today. Let us go to sleep."

"Hm?" I shook my head. "Not yet. I've got to write down what I need to do tomorrow-"

"Let us." Stella grabbed my arm and then said, "Go. To. Sleep!"

I frowned and stared at her.

She glared back, clearly not intending to let go any time soon.

I sighed. "Fine." I took off my dress coat and threw it at my desk before lying in bed. "Hap-?"

Before I could finish, Stella hopped onto the bed on my left side.

"…What are you doing?"

She huffed and fluffed a pillow before putting it down next to my head. "Did you forget already? There is only one bed, and I refuse to sleep on the floor."

I sighed. "Fine. Let me go set up-"

"No." Stella grabbed my arm and pulled me back down. "Considering how routinely you skip meals, you cannot afford weakening your body in any other way. As such, you will be sleeping right here beside me, where I can be certain that you have a peaceful night's rest and not leave to perform some other foolish task in the middle of the night."

I frowned. "I wasn't about to do that."

Stella rolled her eyes and said, "Truly? You had no plans of experimenting on alchemy, reading over your lecture notes, or scout the area for bandits to raid?"

"…Reading my mind isn't fair."

"Tough." Stella pulled the blanket over us and turned her back towards me. "Now, go to sleep, my dear brother."

I sighed and closed my eyes.

Stupid, bratty sisters.

"I heard that."

Good.

…Still… I guess this is kind of nice. And… huh. I'm actually… getting kind of… sleepy.

Before I knew it, my consciousness was fading, slowly slipping into slumber.

But, the moment before I fell asleep completely, I heard a soft voice.

"…Good night, my beloved brother. And… thank you."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Hm... this turned out to be more expository than I thought it'd be. I wanted a brief aside with Hanneman about Edelgard's situation, but it turned into a dialogue on the fundamental nature of Crests again... Well, I guess he's like that canonically, but still...

I hope it wasn't too boring, but some key points had to be made to lay things out for later.

Thanks for reading and your input, as always. Hopefully you got some enjoyment out of this chapter.

Either way, see you tomorrow.


	47. At the End of the Rainbow

When I woke up, there was something clinging to my left arm. I frowned and turned my head towards my left. There I saw an adorable young woman with ruffled long blue hair fast asleep.

Seeing that, I smiled and shook my head.

It looked like Stella had rolled over sometime in the middle of the night. Maybe she was cold, or maybe she was having a bad dream. Either way, she had reached over and grabbed my left arm, holding it like a young girl would a teddy bear.

Light was streaming through the window. Glancing outside, I saw that the clouds from yesterday were completely gone, and the sky had turned a pure blue. Also, the sun was fairly high in the sky. Not quite noon yet, but only a couple of hours until then.

I glanced back over at my dear sister and debated whether or not to wake her up. On one hand, she'd probably want to be woken up when I left. Stella… Sothis was just too concerned about me to do anything but worry. Though, given all that's happened, I couldn't blame her.

On the other hand… while she was worried about my health, I was worried about hers as well. Like with her unexpected feminine problems yesterday, it seemed we both had underestimated the degree to which her body matched up with a regular human body.

I thought it was just a homunculus body that we made, a humanoid container for her soul. It would bleed and had the basic organs, sure, but it wasn't human or truly alive.

And yet… apparently it was. Instead of giving Sothis a temporary body to inhabit, she'd been reborn as a living person.

Was it because of her wishes, my sentiments, or pure coincidence? I didn't know, but all of it boiled down to the fact that Sothis… or rather, my dear sister Stella was truly alive. Alive and carrying the potential to fall ill.

I stared at Stella's face for a while.

She was fast asleep, and adorably so at that. Her eyes were scrunched up and she was pouting even in her sleep. Was she dreaming about scolding me or something? Yet, even as I had that thought, her expression relaxed and she smiled.

"…You can be mad at me later, Stella. But for now, rest easy." I gently muttered those words and then carefully pried myself free from her grasp, swapping my arm with my pillow.

For a moment, Stella's eyebrows furrowed and her eyelids twitched. It seemed like she was going to wake at any moment… but then she relaxed. "Stupid brother…"

I smiled and scruffed up her hair a bit before getting out of bed.

Today was 4/26. Saturday, and my first free day. While a good bit of the morning had been wasted since I slept in, there was still quite a bit of time.

Stifling a yawn, I walked over to my wardrobe and changed into a new set of clothes. The Officers Academy uniform this time, though one with a silver trim instead of gold. A more tailored version of the half-baked one I'd created a few days ago.

That done, I wrote a quick note explaining where I was going and left it on the pillow beside Stella.

Hopefully, paired with a good night's rest and pleasant dreams, it'd be enough to prevent a long lecture.

…Hopefully.

* * *

After locking the door behind me, I set about organizing everything I had to do today.

First order of business? Get all those gifts I'd been meaning to give to everyone.

I had to get a trout for Seteth for actually being a decent guy and helping me out… especially with the paperwork for having Stella attend the academy. Not only that, but he said something about sending over the necessary supplies for Stella too, didn't he? Considering that it was probably out of pocket, I couldn't just accept it with a simple 'thank you'.

…In that case, I guess just one trout wouldn't be enough. I should probably get a bucket full of them… maybe even make some trout jerky? Hm… either way, that meant I'd need to head over to his office later today. At that time, I could probably get a briefing on how the situation with dad and Rhea were going too.

Next on the list… Hanneman. Definitely Hanneman. With everything he'd gone through, as well as spending so much time with me yesterday painstakingly memorizing all of that information about blood types and essentially all of Bio101 that I could remember, I couldn't just leave him with a pat on the back and a 'good job'. Hanneman might be fine with it, but I definitely wasn't.

Also, I never did pay him back for breaking the Crest Analyzer…

I guess some nice tea would be good. He tolerated coffee, but Hanneman was a tea person from what I could remember. The fact that he always had some on hand when I went to visit was just out of consideration for me.

And then there was Delly. Like Stella said, considering our relationship, I should probably do a bit more… maybe a bouquet of roses? She seemed like a rose person…

"So… greenhouse, fishing pond, and shops then." I nodded to myself and then started walking down the path towards the southern side of the monastery.

Since I'd woken up a bit later than usual, there were a few students milling about. I caught sight of Ingrid trailing behind Sylvain, who was flirting with a few of the part-time female students on the way to the dining hall. I also saw Lorenz and Ferdinand walking towards the gazebos, the former carrying some tea bags and the latter carrying a tea set.

"Seems like everyone's relaxing a bit today, huh?"

Unlike the previous days, there was a genuinely peaceful atmosphere hanging about. Even the knights on patrol seemed a bit more relaxed… though I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

I shook my head and continued on my way. It was nice and all to see the students relaxing, but I didn't have that luxury. Not yet, at least. First, I had to get all my tasks done.

The greenhouse was directly to the south of my room, so that was the first destination of the day.

Hm… I hadn't actually planted anything yet though, so would that be a problem? In the game, Byleth usually had seeds on hand to grow for the week before harvesting. Obviously, this was reality so there'd be a bit more leeway, but… Well, I guess I just had to find out in person.

A warm breeze blew past, carrying with it the scent of spring.

That reminded me of just how much and how little time had passed since this all began. It seemed like forever ago that I had any time to myself.

Alone and confused, but now surrounded by companions and even a bratty kid sister… Hm. Maybe there really was something in the air around the monastery making everyone feel nostalgic.

I shook my head and continued along my way before stopping at the greenhouse.

Again, the oddly disproportionate level of technology came into play when I arrived.

The greenhouse was exactly what I'd expect to see in a park or a university rather than something from medieval or fantasy times. A sleek glass building with steel frames. Levers and pulleys to open and close windows to adjust sunlight. And that was just what I could make out from the outside.

It was also big, about half the size of the training grounds.

The doors of the greenhouse, a pair of sliding glass doors, were open, revealing the interior. As a result, I could see all the plants growing.

The floor, while there was a bit of pavement to form paths, was mostly grass and dirt. Along the edges of the walls, there were a line of ceramic pots, the long ones that could be used to hold hedges or a lot of flowers growing together in a bush.

A quarter of the space to the northeast was devoted to growing vegetables and fruits. Rows of lettuce, cabbage, and tomatoes, among other edible plants, were bunched up together, efficiently using as much space as possible.

The areas nearest the front entrance, to my immediate left and right, seemed to be for more exotic plants. Some Venus fly traps, cacti, and other plants I couldn't name were carefully potted and arranged.

As for the last remaining portion of the greenhouse, the northwest corner, it seemed to be where the public gardening area was. Various flowers, fruits, and vegetables were growing there with tiny stakes with names written on them to mark who planted what.

From a casual glance, I saw that Annette, Bernie, and Ashe were the more frequent gardeners with quite a bit of the ground claimed by their stakes.

Still… as I looked around, I found it odd. From what I remembered, the greenhouse shouldn't look like that. Sure, there were sectioned off plots of land, but it was more artificial. Structured. Like a man-made factory to grow plants as a hobby or strictly for supplies.

Yet, the greenery surrounding me looked almost like a nature preserve. The sort that you would see being used as a Zen meditation area, or to bring dates to back on Earth.

I frowned, trying to figure out why it'd be different.

At that time, I heard a gasp. "You… could it be? Iris?"

I blinked and then turned towards the person who spoke.

It was an old woman wearing a dark brown dress. Her face was wrinkled with age, and her skin was tanned from spending long years in the sun.

She walked towards me, brushing off dirt from her hands against her dress, and said, "It's been decades! How have you been? No, how is your child?"

"I… think you're mistaken."

"Hm?" Hearing my voice, the old woman stopped. "That voice… Ah." She blinked and then shook her head. "I apologize. It is just… for a moment, you seemed like a person I knew."

"Iris?"

The old woman sighed and nodded. "Yes. A beautiful and polite young woman who used to love planting flowers here. You look quite similar to her… though now that I'm close, I can see that you aren't her." She frowned. "But… the resemblance is uncanny. Might I ask if you are her child?"

"…I never knew my mother, but from what my dad tells me, Iris was her name."

The old woman furrowed her eyebrows and said, "Never knew your mother? But Iris would never have… Ah. I see." She let out a long sigh. "So she did not make it past childbirth."

I nodded.

Iris… my mother. The one that was never mentioned in the game beyond a cursory note that she existed and that she gave her life to save her child. The one that Jeralt still mourned decades after her death.

Was it a coincidence? The free day I finally got and the time I felt nostalgic, I met someone who mistook me for my mother. An occurrence that hadn't happened yet, even with me roaming around the whole monastery.

The old woman shook her head and said, "Such a pity… I had hoped to see her one last time before I died. Still, to meet her child… I suppose the Goddess has not forsaken me." She looked up at me and said, "Would you tell me your name?"

I nodded and said, "It's Byleth."

"Byleth. By… leth? Hah!" The old woman shook her head and walked over to a corner of the greenhouse. "Iris always did have a strange naming sense."

I followed after the old woman and said, "Strange naming sense?"

The old woman knelt down in front of a small patch of grass and said, "Oh yes. She often called people by pet names, much to their chagrin. Even that stern knight captain wasn't excepted. I believe his nickname was… Jerry, if I recall correctly."

Huh. That… was that something I got from her? I mean, I called my students nicknames all the time, but… was it a subconscious thing?

"Wait." I frowned, remembering something the old woman mentioned. "You said my mom had a strange naming sense after hearing my name. What's odd about it?"

I knew it was the name of one of Solomon's demons, but I had a feeling that wasn't what the old woman laughed at.

She smiled. "You don't know? …No, I suppose you would not." The old woman plucked some weeds along the ground and said, "Leth comes from old Faerghus. It can mean many things, but one of them is 'half'. By leth… By half." She shook her head and said, "And Iris was never one to do things by halves… maybe she gave you that name to remind you to do the same?"

"I… never knew that."

And at the same time, learning that sent a shiver down my spine.

By leth. By half… was it coincidence?

Sothis continued warning me about not being half-hearted.

Byleth and I… we were two halves that had been joined together, blended together enough where I often forgot where 'I' began and he started.

The old woman sighed. "No. I suppose you wouldn't have. Iris's husband… your father, I suppose, was never the intellectual. Skilled and cunning, yes, but never quite one for history or fables. At least not until meeting your mother." She stood back up and stretched her back. "Though I suppose you've listened to this old woman rant long enough." She turned to me and said, "You must have come here for a reason… did you wish to do some gardening? Or did you come to harvest some plants?"

I blinked, the old woman's words bringing me out of my contemplation. "That's right, actually. How do I go about planting or harvesting stuff here?"

"Well," the old woman said. "If you want to plant, you can just find an open space. Nobody's really picky about where as long as you respect the space of others. As for harvesting, if it's not what you planted, the polite thing would be to ask the one who did or just leave it be."

I nodded. "So just general courtesy then."

"Indeed."

Hm… well I didn't have anything to plant, and it'd be a hassle to hunt down people to ask if I could harvest stuff. Not to mention all the unmarked plants…

The old woman stretched her back again and said, "Do you have time, child?"

"Hm? I… guess?"

"Good. Then, would you like to see your mother's favorite flowers?"

I blinked. "Wait. There are still some around? It's been decades, hasn't it?"

The old woman nodded. "Indeed it has. But it would have been a pity to let them waste away, so I've been keeping an eye on them all this time for her. Since she's gone… as her child, I feel like she'd want you to have them." After saying that, the old woman walked over towards a spot below the glass wall directly opposite the entrance.

I followed after her, somewhat curious.

From what dad had told me, Iris… my mother enjoyed planting all sorts of flowers. She also planted them wherever she could. What kind of flower, then, could a woman like that have as her favorite?

The old woman knelt down and then gestured in front of her. "Here we are." She patted to the ground next to her and said, "It'll be a bit hard to see, so you might want to kneel down beside me. I hope you don't mind getting a bit dirty?"

I shook my head. "Of course not. But… what am I looking for?"

There was grass, some roses, and some perennial flowers. But… I had a feeling those weren't what the old woman were talking about.

"Look closer. Here, at the ground." The old woman gestured towards the grass. "It's a bit hard to see, but if you're truly her son, you should share her eyes."

"Hm?" I frowned and then focused. "What are you talking about-"

The moment I said that, it was like they sprang into existence. A dozen tiny, glistening buds, faintly shimmering within the grass.

I reached out to them, and when I did, they started to bloom, unraveling like rainbows blooming after the rain. Beautiful, iridescent flowers with six petals, spread out like a fan.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" The old woman smiled. "These flowers don't bloom very often, but when they do… it's quite breathtaking."

I quietly nodded, gently brushing the petal of one. It was soft and somewhat wet, almost like touching dew. At the same time… it felt insubstantial. Almost like an illusion.

"What are they?"

"Your mother called them Priphea flowers. A tiny miracle that she created just for you."

I looked up to ask the old woman what she meant… only to see that she was gone. In her place…

A young woman with long blue hair and soft eyes. She wore a long green dress with gold highlights, one that barely concealed a slight bump on her belly.

A graceful smile was on her face as she knelt down, gently tending to the Priphea flowers. As she did that, one hand gently rubbed her belly while she hummed a familiar melody. The song of the Nabateans.

My eyes widened and I jumped to my feet.

"Hm?" She paused and turned to look at me. "You are…?"

"I'm…"

"Iris?" A familiar voice echoed from the entrance.

We both turned to look at it.

My father… Jeralt walked through the doors. His eyes scanned the surroundings before focusing on the woman beside me. "I thought I heard you talking to someone."

The woman's eyes widened and she glanced at me again. After that, a soft, but sad smile crossed her face before she turned back towards my dad. "No, Jerry. I was just thinking about our child."

"Our child?" Jeralt walked closer with a furrowed brow. "Did you think of a name?"

She glanced at me and then nodded. "Yes. I was thinking of Byleth."

"Byleth?" Jeralt frowned. "Knowing you it probably has some other meaning… care to explain?"

"Well, Leth is old Faerghus for half… so By leth would mean by half." She smiled and said, "Half of you, and half of me. A miracle born by halves."

"I… guess. But… Byleth, huh?" He frowned. "That sounds like a boy's name. What if it's a girl?"

Iris laughed. "You and mother both are praying for a daughter, huh? But… I think you'll both be wrong in this case." She patted her belly and said, "I'm certain. This child of ours will be a boy… Ah. But don't worry. The only thing he'll get from you are your eyes, Jerry."

Jeralt laughed. "That's good. We both know how ugly this mug is."

Iris frowned. "Are you insulting me? I'm the one who married that ugly mug."

"Well, we both know you don't like me for my looks."

Iris shook her head. "You put yourself down too much, Jerry. Have a bit more confidence. After all, you could've been dorky Alois."

"Heh." Jeralt smiled. "Anyway," he said. "Lady Rhea was asking for you. Something about wanting to make sure the baby was healthy."

Iris nodded. "I'll be there shortly, Jerry. Just… give me a moment, would you?" She turned back around. "I want to finish taking care of these first."

"Alright, Iris. I'll go on ahead, but don't take too long, alright? Lady Rhea… well, since we got married…" He sighed. "You know how it is."

Iris was quiet and then said, "I do, Jerry. Trust me… I do."

Jeralt nodded and then stepped outside the greenhouse.

When he did, Iris sighed and said, "I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you. But at least this…" She brushed one of the Priphea flowers and said, "I hope that you can remember this. Even when it gets tough, even when you want to give up… and you will want to give up." She shook her head and then turned to look at me. "Don't do things by halves, my son. See it through to the end, even when all is lost. That… will be the only way to reach the future you seek."

_Ba-dump._

I blinked. When she said those words, the spell that had been preventing me from moving or speaking was broken.

Iris… my mother stood up.

"W-Wait!" I reached out with my right hand.

I could tell. I didn't know what miracle, temporal anomaly, or magic brought me here, but I could tell that it was ending.

_Ba-dump._

"I… I…!"

She grabbed my hand, gently holding it in both of her own. After that she stared at me, her clear blue eyes peering as if into my very soul. "And to you. My other son… Thank you, for taking his hand and showing the way forward."

My eyes widened.

That-

"Professor Byleth?"

A voice from behind me. Female and familiar.

I blinked and turned around.

Annette walked into the greenhouse. "I didn't know you gardened… Hm?" She stared at my hands and said, "That's a pretty flower you have there. Did you plant it yourself?"

"Flower?" I glanced down to see that there was a Priphea flower in my right hand.

"Yeah! I've never seen anything like that before."

I shook my head and said, "There's more right-"

I paused.

The Priphea flowers were gone. Not only that, but when I looked around… the old woman was gone as well.

"Professor Byleth?"

"…Annette. Where's the old woman?"

"Old woman?" Annette shook her head. "That's a bit rude, don't you think? The gardener here might be older than us, but she's far from being an 'old woman."

"That's not…"

I frowned and then glanced at the flower in my hand.

"Professor Byleth?"

I shook my head. "It's nothing." I walked out of the greenhouse, holding up my left hand in farewell. "I'll see you later, Annette."

"See you later…?" Annette seemed confused.

Frankly, so was I.

As I walked along the road towards the pond, I glanced at the iridescent flower in my right hand.

Priphea flowers. From what I remembered, they were the favorite flowers of a girl who was the incarnation of a goddess of death, destined to destroy humanity. Yet, she rebelled against that fate, growing compassion towards humans instead. But more than that, the goddess of death… when aiding humanity, her name had been…

"Iris, huh?"

_Ba-dump._

I shook my head and gently pocketed the Priphea flower.

"…I'll remember it."

To not do things by halves… to see it through to the end even when all seems lost.

Still… was that a message? Or… a premonition?

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Urgh. I was volunteered to do some work today, so I didn't get back til late.

This chapter's a bit rough, but it sets something up for waaay later. Hopefully.

Mad props to those who get the reference.

On a side note, Iris is one of the golems at the end of the CF route.

Let that sink in for a bit.

Thanks for reading and leaving your input, as always.

I hope this one isn't too bad, and I'll see you tomorrow.


	48. An Idle Chat

I walked over to the fishing shack, mulling over what I had just experienced.

That… wasn't a Divine Pulse. Yet, at the same time, it was clearly the past. But the fact that my father couldn't see me… was it an astral projection?

For a moment, I wanted to consider that it was just an illusion, a vision. Yet, I could still feel the Priphea flower in my pocket. The rainbow-colored flower with six petals was clear proof of that encounter.

…But then the old woman who had pointed the Priphea flowers out to me had vanished- no, apparently never existed to begin with, if what Annette was saying was true.

Then… was it a ghost? Like how Byleth had seen Dimitri at the end of Silver Snow? Was this the power he had as the 'Arbiter of Souls', something that I shared? Or was it a confluence of coincidences, born from my recent actions?

"Argh. This is getting out of hand."

First, all these time travelers and now a time slip into the past…

I glared at my left arm and my artificial crest. Maybe Sothis was right and I shouldn't have tampered with powers I didn't understand.

Well… it was too late now.

I shook my head.

A pleasant breeze drifted past, carrying with it a bit of mist from the watermills nearby.

I decided to not worry about it for the moment. While experiencing a time slip into the past and meeting my mother was… well, I couldn't really sort through how I was feeling, considering she spoke to not just Byleth, but also 'me', who was sharing Byleth's existence.

Anyway, while that was concerning, it wasn't an immediate concern. Instead of that, I had the issue of figuring out how to either get rid of or stabilize Delly's Crests, make sure my class was prepared enough to take on the inevitably chaotic and unpredictable monthly missions, and, most importantly of all, either study up on tactics or invent something to make tactics obsolete, like a drone or spy cam to get clear real-time data.

But first, resolving the manner of gifts. If I was going to tackle all of those issues, I sure wasn't going to do it stressed. Handing out the gifts could alleviate a bit of the guilt I was feeling from delegating some of my workload to other people.

…Sure, it might have been meaningless in the greater scope of things, but the little things and gestures mattered most.

At least, that was what I told myself to ignore the fact that I was procrastinating.

As I reached the fishing shack, I realized I wasn't the only person who felt like fishing today.

A familiar male student with spiky blue hair was sitting on a stool, hooking some earthworms onto a bamboo rod. Beside him, there was a large wooden tub and a small iron pail with wriggling worms.

I called out to him. "Caspar?"

"Hm?" He looked up and waved. "Oh, hey Prof! Fancy seeing you here!" He finished baiting his rod and stood up. "I would've thought you'd be sick of fishing after the party the other day."

I shook my head. "I could say the same about you." I glanced over at the pail and said, "You look like you're planning to fish for a while… Didn't eat your fill at the party?"

Caspar laughed and scratched the back of his head. "No. I mean, yes. I ate plenty at the party, but this is different."

I walked over to the rack of rods and picked one up for myself, as well as an empty wooden bucket. That done, I glanced back at Caspar and said, "Oh? Care to tell me why you're geared up to go to war against the poor fish then?" I paused, remembering what he suggested the other day, and then said, "…And please tell me it's not to try and get golden fish to help me pay Stella's tuition. If so, I'm warning you ahead of time that I'm a very spiteful person and I might grade your essay harsher than usual as a result."

"Sheesh, no need to be so uptight about it, Prof."

I shook my head. "I'd just rather you guys not waste your money on me when you don't need to. Trust me, if it comes down to the wire, I have my ways of gaining emergency funds."

Caspar nodded. "I believe you, Prof… but that's not why I'm here."

"Hm? It's not?" I glanced at the pail again and then at Caspar and frowned.

"Yeah! It's… well, I guess I'm actually trying to catch some golden fish after all… but it's not for you! Well, unless you need some? I mean, I don't want to seem stingy and all-"

"Relax, Caspar. And my bad." I frowned and said, "I guess it's a bit rude to reject goodwill so readily."

Caspar shook his head. "Nah, I get where you're coming from. I'd feel pretty bad too if my dad pulled some strings to get me in the Imperial Army. Just doesn't feel right, you know?"

I nodded. "That's right… but we should probably head over to the dock. We'll be having a lot of downtime fishing anyway, so we can pick this conversation up over there."

"Oh yeah. One sec." He placed his pail of bait in his tub and then carried everything under his left arm while holding his rod in his right.

I picked up my own rod and bucket and started heading over to the pier.

When we reached it, Caspar placed his tub behind him, a few paces away from the edge of the pier, and then tossed his line into the pond.

I stood behind him and did the same.

Caspar looked over and frowned. "You're not using any bait, Prof?"

"Trade secret. Trust me when I say that it'll work out."

"If you say so…"

"Anyway… care to explain why you're stocked up to empty the pond of fish today?"

Caspar gave a frustrated sigh. "It's… a long story."

"…Did you lose a bet with Linhardt again?"

Caspar groaned. "Was it that obvious?"

"Well, if you're not fishing to help Stella and you're not fishing because you're hungry, I can only assume you're fishing to get some money. And, while you like to train a lot, you're not really the guy to spend money on weapons or training materials… so the only real option left is Linhardt." I paused. "Also because you already owe him a few meals from the past few days."

Caspar shook his head. "When you put it that way… I guess it makes sense. Still, you're pretty smart, Prof."

I shook my head. "When it comes to things like this, maybe. I can only hope that it holds true when it comes to battle." I sighed. "The mock battle will be the real test of that."

"Hm?" Caspar frowned. "You worried about us losing?"

"Not really. Just… concerned about being able to direct you guys well."

"Come on, Prof. We've all seen how you fight! It'd take a demonic beast or something to beat you, right?"

I frowned. "I mean you're not wrong, but…"

"No problem then, right?"

I shook my head. "There is. Beyond the mock battles we'll be dealing with the real thing. Fights and missions where any of you could get injured or die. I'm not worried about myself, but…"

Caspar's rod bent. He tightened his grip on his rod and said, "Hold that thought, Prof!" He braced himself and then yanked it up. Water sprayed and light reflected off silver scales… but it wasn't what Caspar was looking for.

He held the fish up and sighed. "Just a white trout."

"Trout? Mind if I have that?"

Caspar unhooked the fish and nodded. "Sure, Prof." He tossed it over into my bucket and then baited his rod again before casting it back into the pond. "Anyway… you said you were worried about something?"

I nodded. "Right. I'm worried about you guys. In my memories of fighting… death was a common occurrence."

From Byleth's memories, the life of a mercenary was one where survival of the fittest came into play every day. While we tried to minimize loss as much as possible… in the end, it was still loss 'minimization'. Death was inevitable, either because someone was too slow to heal, got unlucky, or just got outmatched.

That was what I worried about. Byleth was never too concerned about the lives of others, and I didn't have real experience in directing people in battle.

"Is that it?" Caspar laughed. "Geez, for a famous mercenary, you're actually a pretty soft guy, aren't you?"

I frowned. "I'm being serious."

Caspar caught another fish and pulled it in. A small goby. He shook his head and unhooked it, tossing back in the pond, before baiting his line and throwing it back in. "I am too, Prof. We all are." Caspar frowned, staring at the surface of the pond. "While we're all students… we know what we're getting into. The Officers Academy is famous and all, but in the end it's training us for battle- no, for war." He shook his head. "I might not be the brightest… but even I know that."

I stared at Caspar for a bit. It… looked like I'd underestimated him.

He noticed me staring and laughed. "What? Even I can say some smart things sometimes, Prof."

I nodded. "I should start paying Linhardt. Looks like hanging out with him is rubbing off on you."

"Aw come on, Prof! Give me _some _credit!"

I laughed and then stared into the water.

Caspar had caught a few fish already, but I still hadn't even gotten a bite. That made sense, of course. I didn't have any bait. But like I told Caspar, I didn't really need any.

It was a bit of blatant cheating and killed the sport of fishing, but with the combination of my eyes and my ability to manipulate mana, it was trivial to force the fish I wanted my way.

Still, it'd be suspicious if I kept catching things, so I decided to just grab one for now.

"Hm?" Caspar looked over when he saw my rod bend. "Wait, what? You're actually catching something without any bait?"

I braced myself and pulled on my rod. "Trade… secret!"

Water splashed and a fat white trout popped out of the pond, landing on the pier with a fleshy _plop_.

I bent down and sent a pulse through it with my left arm, killing it quickly, before tossing it in my bucket.

Caspar shook his head. "Man… you know, Prof, with everything you do, I'm starting to really consider becoming a mercenary."

I tossed my line back in the water and said, "If you do, join the Eisner mercenary troops. Greatest chance of survival compared to the rest."

Granted, it was only about 75%... but better than the other groups where only a quarter survived beyond each year.

"Got it. I'll make sure to remember it if joining the Imperial Army doesn't work out."

For a moment, the two of us stood in silence, staring into the pond.

"Hm…" Caspar frowned. "What was I saying again?"

"That you were reconsidering your career path?"

"No, not that- Right!" Caspar shook his head and turned to look at me. "We all know that there's a chance we could die while going to school here, Prof. The recruiters really hammered it into us before we signed up. So if it does happen, no biggie."

I tightened my grip on the rod. "…No biggie?"

"Yeah." Caspar shrugged. "I mean, if I die, that just meant I was too weak, right? And with how much effort you're putting in to make sure we're the best we can be… well, I guess that'd just mean I was a bad student."

I closed my eyes and let out a breath.

"Prof?"

I opened my eyes and glared at him. "That's not allowed."

"Hm?"

"Even if that might be true… I won't let you die. Any of you. And if you do die, I'm going to bring your butt back from the grave and beat some sense into you, alright? So don't even think about it."

"…You're not making much sense here, Prof. But I think I get you." Caspar pulled in another fish, one that seemed to be made of pure silver. He smiled and tossed it in his tub before turning to me. "I just gotta not die, right? With you as our Professor, that's easy. You give me the plans, and I grind them out. It's only a matter of time, right?"

I stared at Caspar. He had an easy smile on his face, as if it was a matter of course. A simple fact of life.

That…

I smiled and shook my head. "Block head."

Caspar's smile crumbled and he groaned. "Hey! Not you too, Prof!"

I shrugged. "It's a compliment. People like you have it easy since you don't think too much and just do your best."

Caspar paused. "You think so? I mean, I never thought about it too much, but- Huh. Guess that's true… Wait." He frowned. "Are you calling me thick-skulled? I'm not an idiot, you know!"

"If Dorothea was here, I think she'd say 'Could've fooled me'. But on a more serious note… thanks."

"Hm? For what, Prof?"

I sighed. "Gotta admit, I have been a bit worried recently. No, I guess it's just built up stress. I've been trying to ignore it… no, I've had to ignore it, but with my first free day, I guess it's just kind of hitting me at once."

Caspar nodded. "Makes sense. You were just a mercenary before this right? Can't imagine how hard it'd be to suddenly teach… though me and the others think you're doing a pretty good job at it."

"That so?"

"Yeah! I mean, what other professor blows most of his salary on a barbecue the first day of classes to get to know his students? Not Professor Manuela or Professor Hanneman, that's for sure."

"…That makes me sound irresponsible."

Caspar paused and then scratched the back of his head. "It kinda does, doesn't it? But I mean, you're not! You gave all of us personalized lesson plans and even broke down all our fighting styles, right? And then you even managed to get us all back safe after that ambush." He shook his head and said, "I think you're worrying too much, Prof. You're doing a great job- no, the best job at being our professor. And if anybody argues with that… well, let me at'em! I'll show them what it means to talk down on our favorite Prof!"

"Heh." I shook my head. "Never change, Caspar." After that, I pulled my rod out of the water.

"Hm?" Caspar frowned. "Done already, Prof?"

"While I'd love to sit here and chat with you all day… I've got things to do." I smiled and said, "Can't just laze around after getting that stellar rating, can I?"

"But you've barely caught anything! Don't tell me you're happy with just those two trout." He shook his head and said, "Here, just wait a bit and I'll get you a few more."

"Thanks, but…" I held out my left hand and tugged. When I did, a dozen trout flew out of the water, wrapped around threads of mana. "I'm good." They flew over, landing neatly in my bucket.

Caspar stared between the pond and my bucket for a bit and then laughed. "Of course… our Prof wouldn't fish the ordinary way, would he?"

I held up my bucket and said, "Anyway, be seeing you around, Caspar. Good luck with refilling your pockets."

"I don't suppose you could-"

I tugged again and sent a gold fish flying into Caspar's bucket.

"Thanks, Prof! You're the best!"

I waved and said, "See you later, Caspar. And don't forget about the essay."

"I won't, Prof! See you around!"

With that, I placed my rod away and headed over to Seteth's office.

…Despite the strange start, maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

My schedule's been all kinds of screwed up these past few days with Thanksgiving coming up, so sorry for the late chapters.

Not too much happening in this one. Just felt like giving Caspar a bit of screen time since he hadn't gotten the chance yet.

Thanks for reading and leaving your input as always.

Hope the chapter was enjoyable, and I'll see you... probably tomorrow? If not, for sure the day after.


	49. Lessons, News

If I remembered things right, Seteth's office was on the second level of the monastery's main building. While I hadn't actually been there yet, it shouldn't be too far from Rhea's room, and I knew where that was.

That in mind, I strolled down the path back towards the main building. It was getting to be around noon now, the sun slowly reaching its peak in the sky, so a lot more students were milling about. The knights were there as well, but either because it was the weekend or because they knew something I didn't, they seemed more relaxed than previously.

Wasn't too sure why that might be the case, but at least it gave everything a calming atmosphere, like it should be for a weekend.

While walking up the path back into the main building, a few knights nodded in greeting. I did the same back to them, and when I did I noticed a few of them stand up straighter. It was weird… until I remembered that Rhea had probably passed them a memo to rely on me in case everything hit the fan. A memo that probably overstated my abilities. Paired with my reputation as the Ashen Demon… well, being admired was just as useful as being feared, I suppose. At least I wasn't being scrutinized anymore.

I entered the building through the southern entrance, just a bit north of the gatekeeper's post at the southern gate. Inside, the hall was surprisingly empty. It seemed that with the nice weather, people didn't want to spend it inside a dusty old building. Not that I could blame them. When I was studying in university, I did the same. After all, if you're going to have to write an essay or comb through a thick textbook for notes, it was better to do it outside in the warm sunlight with company rather than inside a dark and dusty school building.

…Unless you were a graduate student. In that case, you were just out of luck.

Anyway, with a lack of students and knights inside the building, I managed to not get questioned about why I was carrying around a bucket of chilled white trout in my left hand. Granted, I could probably get out of it by questioning them about why I _wouldn't_ be carrying around a bucket and giving a straight face, but-

Someone bumped into me.

Lost in thought, I almost dropped the bucket of fish, spilling everything on the floor. Thankfully, because I was holding it in my left hand, it was a simple matter to adjust the momentum in time to keep it upright. Unfortunately, I wasn't prepared for the avalanche of books falling towards me as well as the young girl that had been carrying them.

Lysithea gasped and started to fall backwards, over a dozen heavy books falling with her and threatening to crush her.

My eyes widened and I quickly set the bucket down to the side. At the same time, I held out my left arm and traced out the Crest of Goneril.

Light flared and everything paused, just for a few seconds. With that extra time, I moved forward and quickly pulled Lysithea out of the way before collecting all of the falling books.

After I had stacked them back up, placing them on the ground for safety, I turned towards Lysithea and raised an eyebrow. "I get being excited to study, but you know that you can make multiple trips to the library, right?"

Lysithea flushed red and huffed. "W-Well, you should watch where you're going! Even if you're a professor, that doesn't excuse you bumping into people!"

I stared at her and then shifted my gaze over to her pile of books that was just as tall as she was. "…That so?"

Lysithea coughed and averted her eyes.

I picked up the book on top of the pile and scanned its cover. "Major Crests Throughout the Ages?" Glancing down at the rest of the books, I saw that they were all about Crests and their history. "I didn't know that Manuela was assigning research on Crests."

If she was, then I'd either misread her or she and Hanneman were spending a lot more time together than I thought they were.

Lysithea shook her head. "She's not. This is more of a personal project… and I suppose I should apologize, Professor. I didn't expect anyone else to be around the hall at this time." She started picking up the books, restacking them in her arms.

I frowned. "You seem far too knowledgeable about the travel patterns of passersby in this area, Lysithea."

She shrugged. "It was an inevitable discovery with how often I frequent the library. Now, would you kindly help me carry these over to the tables in the main hall? I would do it myself, but seeing as how that went…"

I nodded and picked up half the pile of books, holding the bucket of fish underneath them.

Lysithea noticed them and frowned. "…Why do you have a bucket of fish?"

"It's a long story." I started walking over to the tables, Lysithea beside me. "But anyway, what are you researching- no, do you have the time available to research."

"Ugh, you too, Professor? I can assure you that I have plenty of time to do this." Lysithea frowned. "After all, Professor Manuela has yet to give us a proper lesson. Only team bonding exercises…" She sighed.

"Me too?" I frowned. "Let me guess, Claude?"

Lysithea nodded. "The insufferable fool keeps treating me as a child. Just who does he think he is?" She shook her head. "I know my limits full well… and yet he insists on wasting my time by dragging me out to tea parties or some other meaningless activity."

Hm. That was odd… Claude wasn't the type of person to do that without a cause. Well, unless he felt like messing with people. Though…

I stared at Lysithea, taking a closer look at her than I did before. When I did… "I wasn't aware that you wore makeup, Lysithea?"

She stiffened and then coughed. "E-Even I wish to look my best, Professor."

If it was any other person, I might agree. But Lysithea… that makeup wasn't just to accentuate her features. Instead, it was carefully applied to hide the bags and dark circles under her eyes.

Lysithea seemed to notice me staring, but she also stuck to her words, not saying anything else.

I shook my head and said, "If you say so. But remember to not strain yourself too much. Going without sleep affects your ability to memorize and learn new material."

Lysithea slammed her books on the table. After that, she grabbed me by my shirt and said, "Is that true, Professor?! You are not lying to me- no, you are not patronizing me, are you?"

"I'm… not? I mean, hasn't Manuela told you guys about that? She's the medic, isn't she?"

Lysithea let go of me and then frowned. "So that's why…" She let out a long sigh. "I was wondering if it was just me, but if that is true, it explains why I've been having so much difficulty recently."

That… didn't sound healthy. I placed the books on the table and said, "When was the last time you had- no, what's the most amount of sleep you've had this week, Lysithea?"

She paused.

"…Six?"

She shook her head.

"…Four?"

She shook her head again.

"…Don't tell me you haven't had more than two hours of sleep?"

"N-Not that low!" She fidgeted and said, "…I got three hours today."

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "You know, even if you don't wish to be treated like a kid, the fact remains that you are continuing to grow. You're… fifteen, correct?"

Lysithea nodded.

"Right. That means you've still got at least a few years left to grow. That also means that this is the most critical time of your life if you want to get the most out of your growth period. Proper nutrition, sleep, and relaxation are essential." I paused and stared at her. "…I don't know exactly why you're in a rush, but the tradeoff from your health and knowledge or skill isn't worth it. Take it from me, a professional mercenary… and apparently certified professor."

"…Hm."

"What?"

Lysithea frowned and shook her head. "You… I suppose I can see what Linhardt was talking about."

"Huh?" I furrowed my brow and said, "Has that guy been talking about me behind my back?"

She nodded. "Yes… he said that you were far too concerned and involved for a professor."

I frowned. "…That's the second time I've heard that today." First Caspar and then Linhardt, at least indirectly… maybe there was something to it.

Lysithea sighed. "If only Professor Manuela was as involved…" She frowned. "And Claude. I came to this academy to further my studies, not to waste my time on 'team building exercises'."

"Aaah." I nodded. "Well, you have to remember that it's still just the first week of classes. And not even the first proper week of lessons at that."

"…I suppose."

"Wait, is that why you've been helping Hanneman- I mean, Professor Hanneman out?"

"That's right." Lysithea sat down at the table and said, "He is… a bit infuriating at times, especially when he treats me like a child, but he is kind enough to provide me with private study materials." She gestured towards the books and said, "As you can see."

"Crestology?"

She nodded. "Yes… and that reminds me." Lysithea stared at me and said, "Professor Hanneman said that you were fairly versed in the subject."

"He did, huh?"

"Well, it's more like he let it slip." Lysithea shifted her books to the side to look at me and said, "Something about you two working on a research project?"

That… was weird. Hanneman might be a bit of an airhead when it came to Crests, but for the important things there was no one I'd trust more. For him to let it slip that I was fairly versed in the subject when our research was important.

I stared at Lysithea. Like Edelgard, she was a victim of the Agarthan's experimentation… no, the prototype. As a result, her life was drastically shortened. However, at the moment her Crests were stable.

Ah. Was that it?

Delly's current situation was similar to Lysithea's. While their Crests were different, on a fundamental level, the principles should be the same. And Lysithea was undoubtedly a stellar researcher and student. Perhaps his plan was to gradually let her in on the subject to help pursue additional avenues?

Lysithea was talented in Dark Magic and had multiple Crests implanted in her. With our recent discoveries… wouldn't she be the best person to figure out how to apply that knowledge?

"Professor?"

I shook my head. "Sorry, lost in thought. You said something?"

Lysithea nodded. "I was wondering… would you allow me to study under you?"

"Study? Under me?"

"Yes. I would like to join your house if possible, but considering the time it takes for the paperwork to go through, as well as the letters I would have to send…" She shook her head. "For now, would it be possible for me to join in your research project? I am sure you are aware of my capabilities."

"…Is Professor Manuela that bad?"

Lysithea paused. "I suppose she has our best interests in mind… but I don't have the time to waste on trifling activities." She looked at me and said, "Furthermore, I heard from Linhardt about your personalized lesson plans. Not only that, but moments before, that was the Crest of Goneril, was it not?" She shook her head and said, "I simply feel like my interests would be best served in your class… or at least under your tutelage."

"…And you're not wary of the fact that I almost killed you a few days ago, if not for the fact that Hilda stopped me?"

Lysithea shrugged. "Who better to learn from than the one that almost killed me? Furthermore… you were able to break free of Hilda's Crest at that time, were you not? Someone with such expertise and experience is surely the best fit for one of my ambitions."

I stopped to consider that.

Lysithea knew warp and was skilled in dark magic. She was also someone who was burning herself at both ends to make things meet, judging by the makeup on her face covering her dark circles and bags under her eyes.

"…To be honest, I did plan on inviting you to my house at some point-"

"Truly?!" Lysithea coughed. "A-Ah, I mean, of course you would. My grades _are_ exceptional after all."

"But it's still a bit too early for that, isn't it? Not only that, but if you're simply interested in Crests, why not someone like Professor Hanneman? I'm just a rookie professor, right?"

Lysithea frowned. "I did consider asking Professor Hanneman, but he seemed really busy with something else. Also… while Dimitri and the Blue Lions are nice, they're all a bit too patronizing to me. More so than my current peers."

That made sense. Also, Lysithea would probably get upset if I kept probing her for her reasons… and she really would be useful in helping me figure out the best way to cure Delly. Not to mention that she'd probably be motivated to do so after learning of Edelgard's condition if she was anything like she was in the game.

"Hm. Actually, I might have something for you to work on."

Lysithea sighed. "I knew it. You also-" She paused. "Wait. You… actually have something you want me to work on?"

"I do… but first, what do you know about Dark Magic?"

Lysithea paused and gave me a strange look. "…Why do you ask?"

"That's because-" I stopped talking, suddenly realizing where we were. While there weren't that many people around… none that I could see at the moment, that didn't mean there wasn't anyone listening.

I shook my head and said, "Actually… not right now. I need to work out some details, and this really isn't the best place to discuss it. Do you mind waiting until after the mock battle?"

Lysithea frowned and then narrowed her eyes. "…Oh I see. So you think I'm a child too."

"Hm? Wait, Lysithea, I don't-"

"No." Lysithea stood up, sliding all of the books into her arms. "There's no need to make excuses. If you don't think I'm worthy… just you wait! I'm going to show you just what I'm capable of in the mock battle! You won't be able to refuse me then!" With that, she started walking off, heading back to the dormitories.

I considered following her, but realized that she'd probably just take that as me patronizing her.

In the end, while she wanted to be mature, it looked like Lysithea was still childish.

I shook my head and picked up my bucket of fish. It was a bit of a tangent, but now it was time to finally drop off the fish for Seteth and-

Footsteps echoed from down the hall. "Professor?" Seteth walked down from the stairway to the second floor and said, "What are you doing here? And with a bucket of fish?"

* * *

Seteth placed a cup of coffee down on the table before me.

I smiled and took a deep sip, ignoring the burning sensation in favor of the nostalgic taste.

Hanneman had given me a bit whenever I went over stuff with him, but Seteth's private stash was the good stuff. The heavy caffeine black coffee that punched a kick.

Seteth poured himself a cup of coffee as well and sat across from me, an amused look on his face. "I'm surprised. It is rare to find one that enjoys coffee the way I prepare it."

I shook my head and said, "People don't know what's good then. You need a strong cup of coffee in the morning to wake you up… and get rid of the headaches."

Seteth raised an eyebrow. "Does alcohol not do it for you? I know that Manuela… enjoys, shall we say, a few glasses of wine to relax at the end of the day. Your father also is quite fond of spirits, from what Alois tells me."

I frowned. "Yeah, well it seems that my dad drank enough for the both of us before I was born. Alcohol literally doesn't do anything for me."

One of the downsides of having extremely magical blood plasma. Alcohol just gets vaporized in the bloodstream and converted to mana. If anything, it's just an energy drink for me.

"Ah." Seteth nodded. "That's quite unfortunate… though I suppose it sets a good example for your students."

"I guess."

I took a sip from my coffee and took a look around.

After being intercepted by Seteth in the main hall, we'd gone up to his room to both put the fish away and have a chat. Well, his and Flayn's room. It seemed that, like me and my dear sister, the two were bunking together. Though, from the partition in the corner of the room and the second bed, it seemed like Flayn had it better off than Stella.

Seteth had placed the fish I brought him in an icebox off to the side and invited me to have a conversation, offering up some coffee to drink.

That led to where we were now, seated at a table below a window overlooking the courtyard and enjoying a fine cup of joe.

"How has your sister adjusted to the academy, Professor?" Seteth took a sip from his cup and said, "Did you introduce her to your class yesterday?"

"She's adjusting well." I paused. "…Though it seems like my class has taken to her a bit _too _much." I sighed and said, "For some reason, they were convinced that I was bankrupting myself to pay for her tuition and insisted on helping out. I mean, I get that she's charming and all, but to go that far?"

Seteth shook his head. "I believe that you're misinterpreting the situation, Professor. Rather than your sister, is it not that they are concerned for you?"

I paused, remembering the comments about my clothes and skipping meals. "…Well, maybe."

"On that note…" Seteth paused and stared at me. "Are you certain that you are fine on funds? After running the numbers, I am concerned on your ability to provide for yourself and Stella. While it may be fine for the time being-"

I sighed. "You too?"

"…I take it that I have misread the situation?"

I nodded. "I have a store of precious gemstones I can offload at anytime, so there's nothing to worry about there."

Well, if you counted the ability to manufacture gemstones via alchemy as having a store of them anyway.

"Ah, of course. A mercenary as famous as yourself would surely have some savings in place… particularly when you lack the usual vices that one would have."

"Hm?"

Seteth shook his head. "You do not drink, spend money on woman, nor do you buy luxurious trinkets. In truth… I must admit that played a part in my suspicion of you. Such a skilled mercenary lacking any sort of vice? Even a child could imagine a better backstory."

"The truth can be stranger than fiction sometimes."

Like how I had the literal Goddess of Fodlan in my head for a few days before accidently resurrecting her as a cute but bratty younger sister.

"Quite." Seteth smiled, but then his expression became somber. "Now… with the pleasantries out of the way, I have news about Lady Rhea as well as your father."

"…Hopefully good news?"

Seteth frowned. "It is… complicated. But the short of it is that Lady Rhea did indeed reconvene with your father at Zanado and will continue her way to meet with the Regent Emperor at Enbarr. Furthermore, your father is returning tomorrow with his mercenary troop."

I nodded. "Good news then. Though… what took my dad so long? Zanado isn't that far from the monastery, right? At least, if Rhea managed to meet up with him so soon."

"You are correct. From here, Zanado is only a day's ride out. However, the reason for the delay…" Seteth frowned, as if trying to sort out what to say. "…I believe your father can explain it best to you. He will be arriving tomorrow morning, so if you are curious, I would wait until then."

Weird. It wasn't like Seteth to be evasive about this kind of thing… Did my dad get injured or something? No, if that was the case, Seteth's voice would be grimmer. Especially with Stella's recent appearance at the academy along with her story.

Hm. I couldn't figure out what they could have found, so I decided to shelf the thought for the time being. Instead, I focused on the other bit of news Seteth said… and what a bad idea it was.

"…Is Rhea seriously going to head straight into Enbarr with just a few of the Knights of Seiros after the true emperor died under mysterious circumstances? And with everything else that's happened?"

Seteth sighed. "It appears you share my sentiments. Yet… Lady Rhea does not." He frowned and said, "She… Rhea is refusing to listen to reason. From the message she sent back…" He glanced at the door and said, "This stays between us, as the ones Lady Rhea trusted to protect the monastery." After saying that, he beckoned for me to come closer.

I nodded and leaned over.

"Rhea…" Seteth whispered. "It seems as if she has accepted her death as a real possibility and arranged for us to continue on in her place."

My eyes widened and I leaned back. "That… are you sure?"

Seteth nodded, his face grim. "Yes. I know not what she discovered at Zanado but… whatever the case, of _that_ I am certain."

Rhea, dying? No, choosing to walk into a trap like that… Could it be that she remembered too, then? The path that occurred in Silver Snow? But in that case…

The door opened.

Seteth glanced over at it and then frowned. "Flayn? Did you require something of me?"

Flayn?

I glanced over to see the green-haired girl walk into the room.

"No, brother." She shook her head and said, "However, my new friend-"

"_There _you are, dear brother of mine." Stella walked into the room and narrowed her eyes. "And here I thought that you had gone off to do yet another reckless affair."

Oh.

I knew I was forgetting something.

"Hm?" Seteth turned to look at me. "Reckless affair?"

I sighed and took a long sip from my coffee. "It's a long story."

Flayn walked over with a bright smile on her face and said, "Professor! Your sister is a wonderfully kind person! I have never seen one so beloved by the kittens and puppies around the monastery!"

Kittens? Puppies?

I raised an eyebrow and looked over at Stella.

My dear sister blushed and averted her gaze. "T-That was a matter of course! How could those lesser beings avoid my divine beauty?"

Flayn laughed. "There is no need to be modest, Stella! You did a wonderful job at petting and feeding them!"

Stella's blush deepened.

"Hm." Seteth glanced at the two and then turned towards me. "Professor. Since we're all here, why don't we share a meal? Food is better served in company, and I do believe I know quite the recipe to prepare the fish you brought me."

"Ooh!" Flayn smiled. "Are you going to prepare mother's dish? What a wonderful idea!" She turned to Stella and grabbed her hand. "You'll enjoy it greatly, Stella!"

"Th-That…" Stella looked to me. "I believe my dear brother is busy, so-"

Hoh? Looks like a certain goddess can't handle contained bubbly energy, huh?

_Quiet you! Help me escape from this immediately!_

I smiled.

Almost immediately, all the color drained from Stella's face.

"You know what? That's a great idea, Seteth. We'd be glad to enjoy a meal with you and Flayn. Right, dear sister of mine?"

_Curse you, Byleth! Curse you to the darkest pits of the Abyss!_

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Busier than anticipated. .

Hopefully this chapter isn't too shabby...

Some things are stirring in the background while our dear Byleth is on his day off. Hopefully nothing too drastic happens soon...

Anyway, thanks for reading and I'll see you... tomorrow if things go well. I'll update with a note if I get busy and delete it later if I can't.


	50. Siblings

"Ugh. Could you not have simply declined the meal? For what reason did you subject me to such… such…!"

"Bright and bubbly happiness?"

"Cloyingly sweet nonsense!"

I shook my head and smiled.

The meal with Seteth and Flayn was fairly uneventful. A few hours leisurely spent chatting about idle things while my dear sister was dragged into a long conversation by Flayn about colors, flowers, fish, and basically whatever the girl found interesting.

Seteth seemed to have come to a silent agreement with me the entire time and just let Flayn and Stella do most of the talking. The two 'elder brothers' in the room basically served as chaperones.

Stella glared at me and then huffed, turning her head to the side.

It was a few hours after noon now, and my dear sister had insisted that I take her out to walk. The rationale for that was that she wanted to explore the monastery properly while she and I had leisure time.

Truthfully though, she just wanted to escape from the gravitational pull that was Flayn's pure-hearted energy.

As a result, we were walking down the paved path on the east side of the monastery, leading outside of the buildings where the Knights of Seiros had their headquarters and barracks.

A few knights were around, but they left us alone while we walked.

I shook my head and glanced at Stella. "You know, it's good to make friends with someone your own age."

Stella gave me a look. The one that teens did when they were fed up with life.

I smiled.

She shook her head. "You truly believe that I can get along with someone like her? She is but a child! No, she acts worse than a child! Such energy, such longwinded conversations… Ugh."

I raised an eyebrow. "You act like you aren't one either, miss divine beauty."

"I am not!" Stella crossed her arms and huffed. "And you are being quite flippant!"

"Hey, big brother's tease their little sisters all the time. It's part of the role of being one."

Did she realize that she wasn't going to win the conversation? Either way, Stella shook her head and sighed. "You… are insufferable. But regardless… where did you go this morning?" She frowned. "I read your note, but for what reason did you set off so early? Could you not have waited another hour for me to arise as well?"

"You looked like you needed your beauty sleep. Besides, you were a bit grumpy after your, ah, _condition_ the other day. Wanted to make sure you got enough rest."

Stella flushed red and then poked my arm. "We do not mention such things in public!"

"Right, right…"

Stella frowned. "Furthermore… you did not answer my question, dear brother of mine. What have you been doing?"

I stared at her and raised an eyebrow.

…You should be able to tell by reading my thoughts, right?

Stella stopped walking, and the flush on her face turned a few shades darker.

"…Don't tell me that you forgot?"

"W-Well I am undergoing a lot of changes!" Stella crossed her arms and turned her head to the side. "That humiliating experience the other day, seeing the world as it truly is with my own eyes, meeting so many people… moreover, my body is still sore!" She frowned and let out a huff. "You are fortunate that you are male and do not have to deal with these issues."

"That, my sister, is officially too much information."

She rolled her eyes and then started walking again.

I shrugged and decided to go over the rest of what I should do for the day.

For classes, since I'd assigned that paper, there shouldn't be anything to do until next week. And since my dad was coming back with the Eisner mercenary troop, I'd have help dealing with battallions and formations in lessons on Monday. That was pretty squared away then.

Next up… should I get Sothis to help me figure out the ratios for a proper balance between the Crest of Seiros and the Crest of Flames? It'd be great if we could make some progress on that end… though Hanneman seemed to be hard at work on that. If he planned on bringing in Lysithea and Linhardt too, things could progress quicker than expected.

Should I just do some training? After all, it'd be odd of me to just pull out random skills during the mock battle.

"What do you think, Stella…?" I paused when I saw her face.

Stella was going through a wide range of emotions. Shock, surprise, disgust, and then resignation.

I tilted my head and said, "Something wrong?"

She shook her head and let out a long sigh. "Nothing. Merely… surprised at the depths humans will reach out of pure curiosity. Though at this point, perhaps I should say that I am surprised that I can _be_ surprised."

Ah. I take it you saw what Hanneman and I figured out?

Stella didn't respond outloud. Instead, I heard her voice echo in my head.

_I did. And… I believe it is correct. You recall how I stated that Crests were not as complicated as you believed they were?_

Yes?

_That is because your theory is correct. The power of a Crest was inherent in myself and my children within our mana, and that mana ran throughout our bodies within our blood._

Hearing that, I glanced at my left arm. It was covered, obviously, but I could still sense the weird Crest that I'd created sitting there.

Crests were mana, the natural characteristics of a person's magical energy and, in turn, life force. Humans didn't have them naturally since they were a step removed from nature, even in this world. But Sothis and her children… while neither of us knew exactly what Sothis's true form was, it was clear that the Nabateans were dragons.

There were plenty of tales back on Earth about how dragons and their blood could grant extraordinary powers. Both in ancient myth and modern fantasy. The fact that such a thing persisted to the current day meant there was a grain of truth in it.

As a result, it made sense that they could have Crests, power incarnate, dissolved in their blood and spread throughout their body.

But then… what was this thing that I made? It seemed to be a Crest as well, judging from how it drew and shaped mana into a particular pattern. Yet, it didn't do anything, at least that I could see. Not only that… but the mana in my blood didn't match the pattern of mana it created. The two were completely separate, with the mana in my blood being pure and clear while the mana in my arm… well, I couldn't really describe it other than 'weird'.

It was stable, but also... not.

"Enough of that!" Stella grabbed my arm and said, "Today is supposed to be for relaxing, not for you to concern yourself with such in depth matters!"

I sighed. "Stella. You know as well as I that-"

"That you need rest. Did you not say it to that other girl… Lissa?"

"Lysithea."

"That is the one." Stella nodded and said, "While you have been making due up until this point, since using _that_ would alert the other side, you will need to properly rest as well."

I frowned. "That… Wait." I narrowed my eyes. "You just want an excuse to laze about, don't you?"

Stella coughed. "N-Nothing of the sort! I am simply a concerned sister worried about her older brother." She turned to stare at me, her round blue eyes sparkling. "Is that a sin?"

"Those eyes are, yes. But… I suppose you've got a point."

Dad was coming back tomorrow, and he was my other main ally in this fight against twisted timelines and unknown developments. It was probably better to hold off on making too many more ripples until we could touch base with each other.

"Then it is settled!" Stella shifted her arms and grabbed my right hand with her left, slowly swinging it back and forth. "Today, we will enjoy ourselves in peace."

"…Are you sure you aren't getting too into the role of being a younger sister?"

Stella narrowed her eyes.

"Fine, fine." I shook my head and said, "Anywhere you have in mind? Or do you want to just keep walking?"

"I do, in fact. Would it be possible for us to visit the village?"

"The village?" I frowned. "Do you mean the one at the foot of the mountain?"

Stella nodded. "That is the one. I overheard students mentioning that it is much livelier there than at the monastery. Also, the places to shop are more varied as well."

"Heh." I ruffled Stella's hair and said, "You just want to go shopping, don't you?"

Stella looked upset at me messing up her hair, but strangely didn't move. It seemed like my thoughts about her enjoying being my younger sister a bit too much were true.

Though… was she that lonely then? To get so into the role so soon… maybe there was a reason why she was always so chatty around me…

"Brother?" Stella stared at me. "What are you thinking about?"

I shook my head. "It's nothing. But the village, huh?"

Since I was a professor, there shouldn't be any problem with me taking her along. And I did need to offload some stuff anyway to have some spare gold.

I nodded. "I don't see why not."

"Wonderful! Then let us hurry! Daylight burns while we wait!" Saying that, Stella increased her walking speed, tugging me along. At the same time, she started humming a song. A familiar one… and one definitely not from this world.

"Vivaldi's Spring?" I narrowed my eyes and said, "Just how much have you been looking into my past, dear sister of mine?"

She turned her head back and grinned. "That, my beloved brother, is a secret. Though you need not worry. I might be curious, but I had the sense to at least ignore the contents of 'that' folder."

"…'That' folder?"

Stella nodded. "Yes. 'That' folder."

I let out a long sigh.

If she saw that much… I suppose there wasn't anything that she wouldn't know about me by now. Though I was curious about something…

She could read my thoughts and memories, but why couldn't I read hers?

Stella stuck out her tongue and said, "Trade secret!"

"You cheeky-" I leaned over and bopped her head.

"Ow! You…!" She frowned and poked me back. "Hmph!"

I considered poking her in return, but realized that'd be childish of me. One of us had to act their age, at least.

Stella glared at me.

Did she hear that?

"I did."

Well I meant it.

Stella huffed. "…Whatever. And for your curiosity, the truth is… I just cannot remember much."

_As for my thoughts… you simply do not have the talent. You can hear, but you cannot 'listen'. Byleth might have been able to do it, but 'you' cannot. _

…Should I take that as a challenge?

Stella smiled. "If you can achieve that, perhaps I will truly mean it when I call you my brother."

"Ouch. I'm hurt, my dear sister. And here I thought blood was thicker than water… that's cold." I shook my head. "Guess you're too good for me now that you have friends and even got your first-"

"B-Byleth! Stop teasing me!"

I grinned and reached over to mess up her hair again.

She huffed and let go of me, ducking away from my hand. Still, from the smile on her face, she seemed happy.

Now… if only moments like these could last forever…

* * *

"Greetings, Professor Byleth! Long time no see!"

The gatekeeper called out to me as Stella and I approached the southern gate.

I waved at him and said, "Heya, Aid-"

"Ah!" He shook his head. "Professor, could you not call me that?" He glanced around and leaned over, cupping his mouth with his right hand. "I'm on the job, you see?"

"Right, right. Gatekeeper it is then."

He smiled and raised a thumbs up.

Like the other Knights of Seiros, the gatekeeper was fully equipped. Steel plate mail, grieves, pauldrons, and a long sword sheathed at his right side. While he had on a carefree smile beneath his steel helmet, it was clear that he was ready to act at a moment's notice.

I walked towards the gatekeeper and said, "Been an easy day so far?"

"That's right! Nothing to report, Professor! Ah, though I suppose there is one thing…"

"Hm?"

The gatekeeper turned to look at Stella and said, "I wasn't aware you had a sister, Professor! And one so adorable as well!"

Stella flushed, unable to deal with the pure praise and stepped behind me.

The gatekeeper laughed.

I shrugged and said, "I'm a man of many secrets." Saying that, I pulled Stella out from behind me and said, "Anyway, I'm going to take my sister out to visit the village. Broaden her sights and all, you know? Any problem with that?"

"Not at all!" The gatekeeper shook his head. "You can go right ahead, Professor." He smiled and said, "It's nice to see siblings getting along so well."

"Hm?" I paused. For a moment, there was a hint of lingering regret in his voice. "Why's that?"

"Ah, nothing much." The gatekeeper shook his head. "I just wonder what my brother's doing sometimes. I have a twin brother serving in the Imperial Army." His usual smile dimmed a bit and he said, "We… kind of left on bad terms though." He sighed and said, "Sometimes I wonder if I should go apologize."

Stella frowned and stepped forward. "Apologize?" She stared at the gatekeeper and said, "Did you do something to your brother?"

The gatekeeper shook his head. "Nothing of the sort. I just… didn't feel like the army was for me. The church was where I felt my calling, so I left to Garreg Mach to pursue my dream."

Stella huffed and crossed her arms. "Then you needn't apologize. A foolish person that can't accept the path their sibling took deserves to suffer."

I frowned. "That's… awfully spiteful of you, Stella."

And strangely specific.

Stella paused and looked confused for a brief moment before shaking her head. "I am only saying what is on my mind." She looked back at me and said, "Should I have held back?"

The gatekeeper smiled and shook his head. "No. I think I needed that. Ah, but look at me, being cheered up by a student. That won't do!" His smile brightened and he waved. "You two take care now! I'll be here all day, so don't worry about coming back late. I'll wait as long as you need me to."

I shook my head. "You don't need to go that far."

"Don't worry! I'm a true professional! You two just focus on having quality sibling time together in the village!"

Stella nodded and said, "We will, Mister Gatekeeper."

I waved and said, "I'll remember to bring you back something nice."

The gatekeeper smiled and opened the gate, letting us descend the mountain.

The path down was quiet and peaceful, like everything else that morning.

When we were a decent distance away from the gate, Stella let out a sigh. "Were this world to have more people like that gatekeeper, perhaps Fodlan would be better off."

"Maybe. But that'd work only if there weren't any bad people around."

The gatekeeper… Aidem was nice. Sincere and professional, as well as compassionate.

Sothis had a point. If there were more people like him in the world, it would definitely be a better place.

But… that wasn't possible. Not while the Agarthans were roaming around pulling strings in the background. Not while Crests drove people to despicable lengths for a shred of power and prestige.

"Enough of that." Stella grabbed my arm and started pulling me forward. "Come, Byleth! To the village!"

"…Right. To the village."

A day out with my bratty younger sister where I could completely forget about all my troubles for a bit.

It was great… would be great.

Now, if only there weren't people trying to follow us on our way down…

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Managed to squeeze in a bit of writing time. Just a bit of bonding time.

Don't expect a chapter until Saturday at least. Thanksgiving and all that jazz. I'm pretty sure relatives are coming over and I'll be playing host or cooking most of the day.

For those that celebrate it, Happy Thanksgiving. For those that don't, I hope you find some good deals online this weekend.

Take care!

P.S. Just realized this story passed over 200000 words and hit the fifty chapter mark. Didn't even notice until now... Um, thanks for reading this far? Hope it's been entertaining.

To celebrate, I guess I'll give a one-time pass to ask a question and get a clear answer.

Leave your questions and I'll answer them in the next chapter. A warning in advance though, things about the future are subject to change, as should be pretty clear by now with how the story's gone, much to our protagonist's chagrin.


	51. Bond

A peaceful and relaxing outing with my dear sister. That was the plan.

Stella happily skipped about in front of me, oblivious to the fact that people were following us.

We were making our way down the mountain on the path towards the village below. Yet, we weren't alone. While I couldn't see them since they were being cautious and following at a far distance, I could sense people watching us.

They didn't seem hostile though. Was that why Sothis hadn't noticed them? Or was her 'sight' constrained now that she was in a physical body?

Another thing we needed to confirm later.

In any case, our followers didn't seem to have bad intent. I also didn't detect any dark magic fluctuations, something that would have been readily apparent now that I knew the fundamental principles of dark magic. That meant they weren't Agarthans either.

Probably Knights of Seiros then. Seteth was probably concerned about Stella after learning about her story and with her being Flayn's first real friend, especially with their similar circumstances.

I decided to ignore the people following us for now and instead focus on enjoying the time with my sister, like I planned to.

The path down to the village was pretty scenic, now that I had the time to look around and wasn't preoccupied with planning sparring sessions or fending off mages.

Evergreen trees lined the edges of the path, winding around the mountain. The river that started at the top, near Garreg Mach, also winded down, a clear stream that wouldn't look out of place in nature documentaries.

But more than that, when I looked off the path to the area below, I noticed that I could see Zanado.

"Huh… I knew we were close, but not that close."

"Hm?" Stella stopped and turned around. When she saw me staring, she followed my gaze and then frowned. "That place… Zanado?"

I nodded. "That's right. The so-called Red Canyon… and also where the Goddess once dwelled." I turned towards Stella and paused when I saw her expression.

Eyes wide and distant, mouth set in a frown… she seemed confused. "Is it because of this body, or…?"

"Stella?"

She shook her head and said, "It is nothing." She walked back over to me and grabbed my arm. "Now hurry! Daylight is dwindling as we speak!" She frowned and said, "And why are you so slow? Do you wish for it to be dark when we return?"

"One of us just has too much energy."

"And you have too little! Proof that you require more rest and relaxation."

I shook my head. "More like you're just too eager… but you're right. We should probably pick up the pace."

The path winded around the mountain a bit, breaking off at certain parts to head to different areas, like the place where the mock battle would be. The one leading to the village was mostly straight down, but even then it would take an hour if you were going fast to make it to the bottom.

Stella nodded. "Good. Then let us-"

I walked in front of Stella and knelt down, patting my back.

"-be off? Byleth, what are you doing?"

I turned back and said, "Giving you a piggy back ride. This way is faster."

And it'd throw off our pursuers. Good or bad, I couldn't let people peep on my private time with my little sister, right?

Stella took a step back and said, "I-I can walk by myself!"

"It's fine." I patted my back again and said, "You're light… as long as you don't move, and my legs are longer."

"You…!" She sighed and shook her head. "Fine." With a flush on her face she gingerly wrapped her arms around my neck.

I grabbed her legs and stood up.

"T-This…" Stella squirmed around and said, "N-Nobody is around, correct?"

Without missing a beat, I nodded. "That's right."

"T-Then… this is fine. Yes, this is fine." Muttering that to herself, Stella relaxed.

"…You might not want to get too comfortable." Wind gathered as I drew in mana from the surroundings and got ready.

"Wait. Byleth… that-"

"Here… we… go!"

"BYLETH!"

The sound of rushing wind surrounded us, and Stella's hair fluttered along with it.

Despite my speed, at our current pace, it would still take about fifteen minutes or so to reach the village. Because of that, I decided on a bit of small talk to pass the time.

"How are you adjusting to the monastery now? It's been about a day, right? And you managed to spend a bit of time wandering about by yourself… so what's it like?" I frowned. "…And are you fine with bunking with me still?"

Stella scoffed. "You rudely put me in this situation and you still dare to ask me about such trivial things?!"

"It's just a bit of speed. Besides, I'd never let you go flying."

"Just a bit?! We are going faster than a purebred war steed!"

"Still slower than a car, so it's fine."

"You…" Stella sighed. "No. Continually being exasperated with you will cause me no end of grief." She shook her head and said, "As for how I am adjusting… I suppose that it is going well." She paused and said, "It is odd. There are many things that I never expected to occur… but that is what makes it wonderful." Her voice softened and she said, "The joy of life, the joy of living… of meeting people and forming bonds…"

I glanced back at her and said, "Even Flayn?"

Stella rolled her eyes and said, "Yes. Even that bundle of joy and positivity." A soft smile crossed her face and she said, "For that… I am grateful, Byleth. I know that your intent in making this body was only as a tool and to research a means to save that princess of yours, but the fact that I can hold you like this, that we can share these moments… Even if you are an insufferably rude person, it is nice."

I smiled and then turned my head back to the front. When I did, Stella bopped my head and I frowned. "What was that for?"

"…Enemy to womankind."

"What?"

"Hmph. You need to be more careful around females, Byleth. That smile of yours is lethal. Before I did not realize it, but experiencing it firsthand…"

I frowned. "My smile? Lethal?"

"It is in your mannerisms. As you keep such a dour face, the moments you break character, especially to smile, are devastating. The fact that your appearance is first-rate does not help matters… though considering your family, I am not surprised." She finished with a pleased tone of voice.

I shook my head and said, "Don't get too haughty. That shared first-rate appearance of yours is going to get you into trouble sooner rather than later. I'm sure that Dorothea could tell you horror stories about what she went through and had to do because of her looks."

Like literally breaking legs.

Stella laughed and hugged me a little tighter. "Well, anyone that tried that with me would have to get through my dear brother first, would they not?"

I scoffed. "If there's even anything left afterwards. Considering you've got both the Major Crest of Seiros and Crest of Flames…" I paused and said, "How is your body anyway? Ah, and I don't mean your monthly problem."

"…It is fine? As I said before, I am a bit sore… but you know why that is. While I still feel a bit uncoordinated, I can sense the power in my limbs."

I nodded.

We were getting close to the bottom of the trail, so I slowed down and set Stella on the ground.

She brushed herself off and carefully adjusted her hair.

Seeing that, I decided to take a look at myself as well and conjured up a small ice mirror. My familiar face stared back, though my hair… if Byleth looked like generic anime protagonist with his bangs, my hair had become generic shounen protagonist with spiky green hair. The combination of mana and wind had granted gravity-defying effects to my hairstyle.

I frowned and started flattening it. That was a rather unfortunate side-effect… I might need to remember to wear a hat the next time I do that.

"So you realize this now?" Stella shook her head and frowned. After fiddling with her hair a bit more she sighed. "I suppose there is no helping the matter… I blame this on you."

I stared at her. While my sister's hair was a bit messy from blowing all over the place, it didn't look bad. If anything, it just seemed a bit frizzier than usual.

"In any case," Stella said. "My body is fine, and perhaps even stronger than an average person's. In fact…" She reached over and picked up a pebble between her thumb and index finger. With a look of concentration, she pinched it, turning the rock into dust. She brushed it off and smiled. "See?"

"Hm." I frowned and picked up a rock too. Crushing it between her fingers… that shouldn't be too hard, right?

I stared at the rock and squeezed.

And squeezed.

And… nothing happened.

Stella laughed. "My. It seems that your strength is lacking, dear brother of mine." She grinned and said, "It will not do to have the little sister be the one protecting the big brother, will it?"

I tossed the rock away and said, "You can make fun of me when you figure out how to get out of awkward conversations without relying on your 'dear brother'."

Stella huffed and crossed her arms. "That is not a fair comparison! For one such as I, it is near impossible to go unaccosted! You are the only reason that I can even move about without being disturbed… or did you not notice how everyone avoids me when you are around?"

I paused.

…She did have a point. Still…

"In that case, you need to learn how to turn people down-"

I paused again and then stared at Stella.

"Wh-What?" She took a step back.

A haughty but sweet tone of voice. Innocent and round blue eyes framed by curly dark blue bangs. A delicate face that could have been carved from ivory with soft pink lips.

I narrowed my eyes and said, "You still have the dagger I gave you, right?"

Stella blinked and slowly nodded. "Yes…? This, right?" She reached to her side and then unsheathed a dagger with a golden hue.

"Good." I walked over to her and placed my hands on her shoulder. "Keep that on you always. If anyone gives you bad vibes, attack first and ask questions later."

Stella… my dear sister was adorable. Too adorable, now that I paused to look at her. Enough that it wouldn't be odd to have ordinary people act in extraordinary ways or get crazy ideas.

She gave me a weird look and then brushed off my hands. "…You are going to be a terrible role model for your children."

I shook my head. "I'm simply giving you fair warning." I frowned. "I thought we'd just have to be worried about those guys in the dark, but I might have to worry about ordinary people too…"

Stella frowned. "You might have your heart broken someday if you act like that towards your children, Byleth. Especially a daughter. It wouldn't be strange for her to run away from home and elope."

"Ha. As if a child of mine could ever run away from home so easily… though if it comes to that point, I'd rather be hated and know that they're safe than loved-"

I paused and then narrowed my eyes. "…You're distracting me. You never agreed, Stella."

My dear sister rolled her eyes and said, "Fine, brother. I will attack first and ask questions later." She paused. "Though… have you forgotten?"

"Hm? Forgotten what?"

Stella tilted her head and said, "I am touched by your concern, but…"

_This body is temporary, is it not? _

I froze.

That… was right. The body Stella- _Sothis_ was using… while it was alive, whatever happened to it wouldn't permanently harm Sothis. Even if it died, she wouldn't. But…

I shook my head and then grabbed my sister's arm, pulling her along.

"H-Hey! What are you doing!?"

"…You're taking your own life too lightly. You and all of my damned students."

"You are hurting me, Byleth!"

I blinked and realized that I was squeezing too hard. I let out a slow breath and relaxed my grip. "…Sorry-" I paused. "No. I'm not sorry. You… while you might not mind dying, that doesn't mean others won't be affected by your death. If something happened to you… I have a feeling Delly and the others might not be so forgiving. And that's not even taking into account Seteth or Flayn."

Flayn, making a friend her age for the first time in who knew how long.

Seteth, happy for Flayn's first friend… and also seeing the echo of his situation in me and Stella.

Stella was quiet.

I turned to look at her.

There was a strange expression on Stella's face. She stared at me with… not quite a smile, but not quite a frown either.

"…What is it?"

Stella shook her head. "Nothing. Just…" She tilted her head and muttered, "So this is the strength of 'bonds'… is that why she…?"

"Hm?" I frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing! More importantly… Look! We have arrived!"

My frown deepened, but since we actually had arrived, I decided to leave it alone.

* * *

Walking down the path into the village again, I noticed that it was structured like a typical village, houses and buildings surrounding a central plaza. However, there was still that odd mix of different architectures… though now that I was paying attention, I noticed that there was a pattern to it.

We arrived from the north side of the village and made our way towards the plaza. Along the way, I noticed that the architecture changed. The outskirts had rougher houses, mostly made of logs and wood. Yet, as we advanced, the architecture changed until the central plaza, where the buildings could have been taken from a strip mall.

Maybe it was symbolic? I hadn't thought about it much, but arranging the village like that could be some symbolism for how the church provided enlightenment. Like how the village thrived because of the monastery, and the plaza, the main center of commerce, had modern architecture to reflect that, and to be more appealing to any students that might visit.

…I should probably make a note to ask someone about that or look it up later.

"Wow…" Stella walked into the plaza and slowly spun around, taking in the sights.

I followed after her and glanced around.

The sun was starting to set, but it was still lively out. Some of the villagers were walking around, and there were even kids chasing some cats and dogs. Stalls were set up near the center of the plaza, forming a makeshift bazaar.

To me, it looked fairly typical. In both sets of my memory, I had seen either more of the same or better, so I wasn't impressed.

Stella though…

When she saw a long stall with trinkets to our right, she immediately ran off.

I sighed and followed her.

A middle-aged man with graying brown hair sat behind the stall on a chair, whittling away at a block of wood. As for the stall itself, there were a vast array of carved dolls, charms, and toys. There were also a few pressed flowers spread about.

A wolf, bear, dog… pendants, bangles, armlets… daisies, irises, lilies… it was basically everything that a kid might be interested in.

When Stella reached the stand, the man looked up. Seeing Stella, he gave a lazy wave and said, "Can I help you, young lady?"

"A-Ah." Stella flinched and shook her head. It looked like she realized how childish she had been acting and reflexively held back. "I… simply wanted to take a look at your wares, Sir."

The man's mouth twitched and he nodded. "Take your time." He waved his hand and said, "There's no need to rush. Not like there's a big crowd around."

I walked over and then raised an eyebrow. "You make it sound like there usually is."

"Hm?" The man looked at me and nodded. "Yeah. Students usually come down here to buy gifts and trinkets. Travelers visiting the monastery usually pass by too… but with the curfew and tightened security, there haven't been many of either around." He glanced at my uniform and said, "But you'd know that, wouldn't you?" He shifted his gaze towards Stella's clothes and said, "After all, you two snuck out of the monastery."

Stella shook her head. "We did not sneak out. My brother is-"

Before she could say anything else, I walked over and covered Stella's mouth.

She huffed and squirmed, trying to break free.

I ignored her for the moment and looked at the man. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't spread such accusations around."

He stared at me, shifted his eyes to Stella, and then cracked a smile. "Sure kid. I won't tell the professors that you snuck out with your younger sister to have some fun."

I nodded and then let Stella go.

She immediately spun around and glared at me. "Stop doing that! If you wish for me to be silent, a mere word would suffice! Covering my mouth like that… what would you do if one were to mistake you for a villain, hm?"

"Cut them down for being an idiot?"

"Gah, you- Hmph!" Stella shook her head and then walked over to the far end of the stall.

Since my dear sister was so preoccupied, I turned to the man sitting behind the stall and said, "Would you happen to know if there's a place here I could exchange some gemstones for gold?"

The man raised an eyebrow and said, "Run out of spending money, huh?"

"Something like that."

The man laughed and said, "The guy in the jewelry building across the street is used to making exchanges with you students. You can probably go offload whatever trinkets you've got for a fair price. Though, if you're worried about paying for your sister there, I'm not too picky in payment." He shrugged and said, "Can't guarantee it'll be an equal exchange but-"

"That's convenient." I reached into my shirt pocket. I couldn't make any of the more complicated gemstones since I didn't know their chemical makeup, but since diamonds were all carbon, those were a cinch. Thus, with a bit of alchemy, I pulled out a small diamond, about as wide as a pencil eraser, and held it out to the man.

He froze for a moment and then stared at the diamond in my palm.

I lifted my hand a bit and said, "It's not much, but I think that a craftsman like you could find a use for it, right?"

The man tentatively took the diamond from me and then held it up to the sun. After squinting at it for a bit, he shook his head and said, "You're rather generous for a noble."

I shrugged. It was a misunderstanding, but not one that mattered in the long run. "Yeah, well I have to spoil my little sister somehow, right?"

The man smiled, a warm expression in comparison to the cordial look he gave earlier. "I see… family is important after all."

"Anyway, the store over there, right?" I turned around and pointed to the place the man mentioned earlier.

"Yeah," he said. "That's right."

I nodded and walked over to Stella. "I'm heading over to get some spending money. Want to come with?"

Stella frowned and glanced at me, holding a small wolf in her hands. Her gaze shifted to the wolf and the other carved animals. "…Must I?"

"You don't… but it'll probably be a bit more trouble if you do."

I could sense the gazes of our followers. It seemed that I hadn't quite given them the slip with my little stunt. I still didn't sense any ill intent though.

Before Stella answered, the man walked over to us and said, "You don't have to worry about the little princess here. I'll keep an eye on her for a bit."

Stella huffed and said, "I am a Goddess, not a princess!"

The man laughed, shaking his head.

I resisted the urge to facepalm and then sighed. "I'll be right back then."

Stella nodded and held up the wolf to the merchant. "What is this? A toy? A doll?"

The man took the wolf from her and smiled. "Why this, little lady, is Garm. The myth and story behind this wolf is long and ancient…"

I paused for a bit, watching the man and Stella. The former seemed sincere in his interaction, like an uncle playing with his niece, while Stella seemed entertained, so I decided to leave them be.

Now… time to refill my gold pouch.

* * *

The jewelry shop the brown-haired man mentioned was large, enough to fit a dozen rows of glass displays while leaving a long counter at the back.

Seated behind that counter on a plush velvet lounge was an old man with silver hair and a sleek black suit. He was flipping through a book when I entered and barely gave me a glance. Still, while he seemed casual and uninterested, from the mana rolling off of him, he wasn't a person to be underestimated. At the least, he seemed skilled enough to deal with any average bandit or upstart student.

But that wasn't the only person in the shop. Off to the left corner, there was a familiar woman with a white robe and green dress.

"Manuela?" I walked over to her and said, "What are you doing here?"

She tensed and then turned around. When Manuela saw me, she relaxed and smiled. "It's my day off, Byleth. Why wouldn't I be here instead of that stuffy monastery?"

"…Because the mock battle's in four days?"

Manuela rolled her eyes. "Claude has that settled. Apparently all I'll have to do is just sit tight and heal with physic. Not that I mind since it's less work for me, but… Hah." She shook her head and said, "Tell me honestly, Byleth. Am I too old for this? Teaching, I mean."

"If you are, then Hanneman should absolutely retire."

Manuela chuckled. "Good one. But… I suppose you're right." She shook her head. "Sorry. Didn't mean to be a downer on your day off."

"It's fine." I shifted my gaze towards what Manuela was looking at.

The glass display case in front of her was filled with rings. Golden bands with diamonds, silver bands with emeralds… simple rings, stylistic rings with floral bands and elegant mounts for the gemstones…

Ah.

Manuela caught me looking and sighed. "Yes, I was looking at engagement rings. Got a problem with that?"

"No. Just a bit curious… unless you're planning to propose to someone?"

Manuela leaned on the counter and said, "Why Professor, are you offering?" A sultry tone, finished off with a wink.

I shook my head. "Sorry, but I'm not interested. You're a charming mature beauty with a lovely voice and… assets, but you're not my type."

"So blunt." Manuela straightened and smiled. "But that's your good point."

I froze.

Manuela laughed. "To think the stone-faced Professor could panic."

"…I was simply contemplating my life choices for a moment."

Manuela shook her head and said, "You can relax, Byleth. I was just teasing. While I wouldn't mind a gentleman like you, I wouldn't want to cross any boundaries. Dorothea's already made it quite clear to me that you're off-limits."

I sighed in relief. Dealing with Dorothea was one thing, dealing with Manuela on top of that-

Wait.

I frowned and said, "What do you mean I'm off-limits?"

Manuela covered her mouth and smiled. "Whoops? That was supposed to be a secret." She shook her head and then said, "But what brings you here, Byleth? This isn't really the type of place young men come to visit on their day off." She paused and then gave me a knowing look. "Unless those rumors about you being engaged to Miss Hresvelg are true?"

_Ba-dump._

I frowned, forcefully ignoring the heartbeat at the thought of being married to Delly and said, "That's patently false. While De-Edelgard and I are close, that's a long ways off."

"That's not a 'no' I hear, Professor." Manuela gave me a teasing smile and said, "Poor Dorothea will be so heart-broken… Ah. But the Emperor usually has concubines, so maybe she won't be?"

I gave Manuela a deadpan look.

She laughed again and then said, "Well, if that's not why you're here, then why _are_ you here?

"I needed to liquidate some of my assets."

"Hm?" Manuela frowned. "But your salary should have- Aaah." She nodded and winked. "Not enough gold to buy gifts for all the lovely ladies, hm? I get it. Don't worry dear, your secret's safe with me."

"That's not-" I sighed. "You know what? Sure." I shook my head and then walked over to the counter.

Despite my conversation with Manuela, the old man didn't say anything. He didn't even look away from his book. Instead, he simply picked up a scale from beside him and placed it on the countertop.

I raised an eyebrow at that. Either he was strictly professional… or he was fed up enough with dealing with unruly kids and random characters that he didn't care anymore.

Both were respectable decisions, so I didn't say anything and simply went about my business.

I reached into my shirt again and did some more alchemy. Simple diamonds were good… but seeing some of the rings and gemstones had reminded me. Most gems were just minerals cut with impurities. Diamond was the simplest, but trace amounts of impurities could change its color, like the famous blue Hope Diamond on Earth.

Then… if I remembered my colors right…

I pulled out my hand and placed a few colored diamonds on the scale. Green, blue, and red. They weren't too big, about the size of my pinky, but they were pretty enough and also genuine diamonds.

I didn't quite know the exchange rate, but-

A gasp from behind me. "Byleth!" Manuela quickly walked up and pointed to the diamonds. "You can't sell those!"

"Hm?" I turned towards her and said, "Why not? They're just a few colored diamonds."

The sound of a book being tossed to the ground echoed in the shop. I turned back around and saw the old man lean forward at the scale, his eyes wide. "Colored diamonds?!"

He started to reach for them, but Manuela beat the guy to it, snatching up the diamonds and forcefully putting them back into my hands.

"You…! Don't you know how rare these are!? Why are you selling them!?"

"I… don't?"

"You… that…! Gah!" Manuela shook her head. "No, you were a mercenary, right? I guess you wouldn't know." She took a deep breath and then said, "Byleth. Colored diamonds are rare. Extremely rare. Even when I was the star of the Mittelfrank Opera House, I only saw them once or twice while touring the most popular jewelry shops in Enbarr. And the prices they were going for…" She shook her head.

The old man looked at me and then nodded. "The lady is right. If those are really colored diamonds you have… I can't take them in good conscience."

I frowned and then tucked the diamonds into my pocket.

Manuela let out a strangled gasp and said, "Put them away carefully! Carefully! That's more than a decade's worth of your salary!"

"A decade?"

If an average salary was 3000 gold per month, then for ten years… 360000 gold? So individually, each one was about… 120000 gold? Huh. Maybe I should consider passing them to Seteth to manage then… that should definitely take care of Stella's tuition.

I shrugged and pulled out a couple ordinary diamonds from my shirt, placing them on the scale. "How about these then?"

Manuela's eyes widened again and she said, "You… Professor." She rubbed her temple and said, "Don't tell me you walk around carrying valuable gemstones on a daily basis?"

"I won't."

Manuela stared at me. "That wasn't a no."

I shrugged.

The old man picked up the diamonds, carefully examining them, and then said, "How about… ten thousand gold a piece?" He looked up at me and said, "I'd offer more… but clearly money isn't an issue for you."

"Sounds good."

Manuela took a deep breath and muttered, "Relax, Manuela. Just because the pretty Professor doesn't understand the value of gemstones doesn't mean that he's an idiot. He's just ignorant."

I took the bag of gold that the old man handed to me and said, "I heard that."

"Then I meant it! Honestly, what is with the current generation and not caring for money? Or is it just the nobles? No, you're a mercenary so… argh." She shook her head. "Thank goodness Dorothea is good with money. I'd be worried for you if she wasn't."

"…You make it sound like I have money issues."

Manuela scoffed. "This is coming from the professor who spent his salary throwing a party for his house, and then running an interhouse party just a few days ago."

"…I'm never going to live that down, huh?"

"No. No you are not."

I shrugged and glanced at the coins inside the bag. Obviously, there weren't ten thousand gold pieces since it'd be impossible to carry. Instead, there were two hundred platinum coins. Seiros Sovereigns, from what I could recall, worth about a hundred gold a piece.

I tied the bag to my belt after verifying the sum and nodded at the old man. "Pleasure doing business with you."

He let out and exasperated sigh and said, "Just hurry up and leave." He shook his head and said, "Stupid kids, not knowing the value of money…"

I shrugged and walked out of the shop.

Manuela quickly walked beside me and said, "You're really something else, aren't you, Byleth? Most people would be terrified carrying around what you have on you."

"Most people aren't me."

After all, the diamonds were just rocks to me. I could always make more… though I suppose I should figure out how other gemstones were made then before I went on another asset liquidation trip.

"You've got that right. Nerves of steel, I swear… Though I suppose that comes with being a mercenary, huh?"

I ignored my new hanger-on and glanced back at the stall and my dear sister.

Thankfully, it didn't seem like anyone had gone over to bother her.

I sighed in relief and made my way over. "Did you find something you like, Stella?"

My sister turned around, clutching the wolf I saw her with earlier and a goddess statue. "Finally!" She walked over and held out the goddess statue. "For you!"

"…For me?"

She nodded. "It is good luck. I, being who I am, do not need it. But _you_… well, you can use every bit of luck you can get."

I took the offered statue and said, "Hey, my luck's not that bad. And isn't being with you enough good luck?"

_Clearly not after all that has happened!_

I shook my head and looked at the statue. It was a pretty good depiction of Sothis, though obviously inspired by Lady Rhea, and conveniently sized, fitting neatly in my palm.

I pocketed the statue and patted Stella's head. "Good job."

She smiled for a moment and then flushed before brushing my hand off.

I laughed and glanced at the brown-haired man that owned the stall. "Thanks for keeping an eye on her."

"Anytime, young man." He waved and said, "You two have a good evening, alright?"

Stella bowed to him and said, "Thank you, Mister!" She turned around and grabbed my arm. "Now, let us be off, Byleth! That Mister mentioned a café at the south side of the village that sells sweets!"

She tugged me for a bit and then stopped.

I turned around, confused why she did. And then I saw the person standing there and understood why.

Manuela glanced between me and Stella, confusion clear on her face. "…Professor. You have a sister?"

Was it because she was happy, or because she wanted to play things up? Stella let out a bright smile and held out her hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you! I am Stella, Byleth's beloved sister."

So 'beloved' instead of 'dear' now, huh?

_Hush, you!_

Manuela laughed and shook Stella's hand. "Well aren't you adorable?" She smiled and said, "You remind me a lot of young Dorothea, actually. Such a lovely voice and appearance…"

Stella's eyes widened and she ducked behind me.

Manuela blinked.

I sighed and said, "Sorry about that, Manuela. Dorothea scared her when she mentioned that the opera house might snatch her up. And with who you are…"

Manuela eyed Stella and nodded. "Dorothea had a point. Stella… she really would be a star." She sighed. "Though such a naïve girl dealing with that environment… No, keeping her at your side would be best, Byleth." She crouched down a bit to Stella's height and said, "I'm sorry for scaring you, Stella. But it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Manuela, your big brother's colleague. Though, I wouldn't mind if you called me big sis."

Stella slowly walked out from behind me and then nodded. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Auntie Manuela."

I froze.

Manuela's smile stiffened.

Stella carefully tilted her head, feigning innocence. "Did I say something wrong?" Her round blue eyes sparkled, deceptively naïve.

Manuela let out a slow laugh. "Auntie… Auntie, she says?" She shook her head. "Should I be happy that a cute thing like that called me her auntie… or irritated that I'm being called auntie at all?"

While Manuela was still conflicted, I decided it was best to beat a hasty retreat.

I waved at Manuela and said, "I'll meet you at the monastery later, Manuela. Have a good evening, and I hope you feel better from your injuries."

Before she could respond, I grabbed Stella's hands and quickly headed off towards the southern side of the village, leaving a stunned Manuela behind.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Back from Thanksgiving celebrations as well as Black Friday shopping. Managed to pick up a new hard drive for my laptop, so I was pretty happy about that. Also a lot of good food and hanging out with family.

Hope everyone's having a good weekend!

Some more focus on Stella and rest and relaxation for our MC... though that actually means more antics.

Thanks for reading, as always, and leaving your input. It's always appreciated.

That's it from me. After this is just answering the questions as promised from last time. If you have an account here, I decided to PM you since I didn't want to inflate the word count here. If you don't, I'll mark the name in bold below.

* * *

**Answers to questions celebrating 50 chapters and 200000 words:**

**DOOT76:** Currently, in Stella's body, she doesn't give off anything that could tip off that she's Sothis other than her mannerisms. If anything, Rhea would be more likely to believe that she's an experiment Rhea made that managed to escape or revive. That would change, however, if Stella decides to use her Divine Powers... though at that point pretty much everybody would realize it since she'd have glowing green hair like Byleth did after merging.

The MC's past life won't heavily affect the course of the story too much. It's more like the reason why he ended up in Fodlan in the first place. Other than that, it's mostly just intrigue... though that may be subject to change.

**Dantdm: **In the sense that a person with a Doctorate is a doctor, yes. Though he did do undergrad in pre-med, so take that as you will.

**A fan:** The inspiration from this story is a bit complicated, but it's a combination of wanting to get a golden ending in Three Houses as well as 'what if the player's feelings and memories actually bled into Byleth'. There's also a heavy dose of fourth-wall breaking and Persona inspiration, but that probably won't come til way later.

Some arcs are planned, things I want to write, while others just come about organically during writing and I just go with them. There are certain events I have in mind that I want to get to, but those may be scrapped depending on how the story unfolds. As for giving Sothis a body, that partially came from the fact that the other Byleth is waiting in the Holy Tomb post-timeskip if you visit it with an amiibo and partially because I figured the MC would definitely try the hardest part of Alchemy ASAP.

Thanksgiving was great, by the way.


	52. Just Desserts

While we headed towards the café that Stella wanted to visit, I noticed that the people following us were getting closer. They were still being cautious, spreading out a bit and staggering their movements, but I could roughly sense how many there were now.

"About six, huh?" I muttered.

"Hm?" Stella glanced at me. "Did you say something, Byleth?"

I shook my head. "Just thinking to myself a bit."

In Stella's rush, as soon as we were out of Manuela's eyesight, she had shaken free from me and skipped a few paces ahead of me, a distance that she kept even now. Far enough to get a bit of privacy, but close enough for people to know that she was with me.

Also an ideal distance for me to see and potential attacks and immediately stop them, though that bit went unnoticed by her.

Stella was hugging the carved wolf to her chest, humming to herself as she walked.

Seeing that, I said, "You seem pretty happy with your new toy."

Stella huffed. "It is not a toy! It is… a companion."

I raised an eyebrow, but nodded and said, "Right. Companion… why a wolf though? There were a few other animals, weren't there?"

"Because it is cute." Stella paused and turned around, holding it up for me to see. "Is it not?"

I glanced at the wolf, taking a closer look.

It was fairly detailed for a wooden carving, with textured fur and intricately carved patterns. Realistic as well, but not intimidating. Rather than a real wolf, or that annoying Demonic Beast, it looked a bit like a Siberian Husky.

I nodded and said, "It is pretty cool."

"Mmhm!" She smiled and hugged it close again. "A perfect companion for an adorable person like myself, is it not?"

"…You're getting a bit conceited with your looks now, aren't you?"

"But is it not true?"

I walked closer to Stella and ruffled her hair.

She huffed and ducked away. "Quit that! Do you know how long it takes to fix my hair afterwards?"

I smiled. "Sorry, sorry. But you said it yourself, didn't you? You're just too adorable."

Stella flushed but she pointed at me and said, "Your wily charms will not work on me! I will remember this!"

I shook my head and said, "Heh. Just wait. If you think I'm bad, wait until dad gets back. When I was younger, he did a lot worse than what I'm doing to you."

Piggy back rides, tousled hair, force feeding… though considering how expressionless I was, my dad was just probably trying his best to get any reaction out of me.

Stella paused and then let out a long sigh. "I suppose it is inevitable…"

"It is."

There was no escaping the best dad machine that was Jeralt Reus Eisner once he got into full-dad mode.

After a bit more walking, we arrived at the café. It was a fair bit away from the central plaza and in the area where the houses had wooden sidings, the in-between of the modern and rustic. Despite that, it was easy to pick out the café from the surrounding buildings due to its wide glass window displaying cakes and other pastries.

"We arrived!" Stella smiled and ran forward… for a few steps. After that, it seemed that she became self-conscious of her demeanor and slowed down, walking forward with a carefully controlled pace. She even shifted the wolf from holding it with both arms to carrying it lightly underneath one arm.

She must have thought it made her look mature. If anything, it was just silly, like watching a child imitating how they thought an adult would act in public.

I stifled a laugh and followed after her.

The door to the café opened with a chime, a bell ringing to announce our entrance.

The layout of the café was fairly standard. A countertop in front with a glass display showing pies and other goodies. Hanging against the back wall, there were blackboards with the daily specials written in chalk. However, there was also a stack of menus on the countertop, probably the expanded list for dining in.

To the left of the entrance, past the window and pastry display case along the left wall, there were a line of booths to seat smaller parties. In the middle of the room, there were larger tables, rows placed together for larger parties.

To the right of the entrance, there were the swinging double doors that seemed to be in every restaurant. Beyond it, I could hear some pots and pans clanging, as well as steam, so it was probably the kitchen.

At the moment, the counter was unmanned and the place was fairly empty. I briefly noticed a couple seated at a booth nearby, but I didn't pay too much attention to them. Instead, I focused on my wayward sister.

Stella immediately glanced at the glass display after walking inside the café, but she carefully averted her gaze and walked up to the countertop. Once there, she picked up a menu and began scanning it, as if pondering on what to get.

A sophisticated act to be sure… if not for the fact that her eyes kept glancing over to the display case.

I smiled and followed after her. But, just before I was about to call out to my dear sister, someone called out to me.

"My! What a pleasant surprise!"

I turned towards the voice to see Mercedes waving at me from a booth. "It's nice to see you, Byleth!"

"Mercedes?" I blinked, caught off guard at her sudden appearance. "It's nice to see you as well. But why are you-"

I paused when I noticed who was seated with her.

A tall man with blonde hair kept in a pony-tail and long bangs. A face that was as grave as death… that was currently covered in cream and crumbs.

Jeritza sat next to Mercedes, hugging a giant porcelain bowl filled to the brim with cookies, whipped cream, and slices of color fruits, all topped with a healthy drizzling of golden honey.

He noticed me staring and frowned. "…I am not sharing."

I sighed.

* * *

Mercedes laughed and looked at Stella. "What a wonderful coincidence!" She shifted her gaze back to me and smiled. "To think that the both of us reunited with our long lost siblings back at Garreg Mach… the Goddess must truly be watching over us!"

I nodded. "Can't say I disagree with that."

Mostly because said Goddess was sitting right next to me.

After Mercedes called out to us, me and my dear sister joined the other sibling pair at their booth.

Mercedes was seated on the edge of the booth, with Jeritza seated on the inside.

Stella and I took a similar arrangement, with me on the outside and her on the inside, near the wall.

In short, the younger siblings were subject to the whims of the older siblings, only able to leave when we allowed it.

The waitress, a young woman with long pink hair, took our… well, mostly all of Stella's, orders and left to prepare them, leaving us alone to talk.

Though the only ones talking were just me and Mercedes. Jeritza was completely engrossed in consuming his sugary confection and Stella had taken to playing with her wolf.

"Ah!" Mercedes clapped her hands together and said, "I should introduce you!" She gestured towards Jeritza and said, "This is my little brother, Emile!" She turned towards him. "Say hi, Emile!"

Jeritza paused in the middle of eating a scoop from his dessert and sighed. "It is Jeritza now. And we have met… although I was unaware the professor had a sibling."

I sighed. "Yeah, that's going to be a recurring thing, huh? Maybe I should just send out a memo…"

Jeritza started to eat his dessert again, but then stopped and looked at me. "I had forgotten. Thank you for the wrapped candy last time. It was… enjoyable."

"Oh?" Mercedes turned towards me. "You gave Emile some candy?"

"Yeah, well… I felt kind of bad for him missing peach sorbet because he had to escort one of my students, so I gave him some I had left as compensation. Though…" I glanced at Jeritza. "Was it that good?"

He nodded. "Simple and sweet." He paused. "…Though Mercedes makes better treats."

Mercedes laughed. "Emile! You don't have to flatter me. I'm sure Byleth's candies were lovely." She shook her head and then turned towards Stella. "And who might you be?"

Stella paused and set down her wolf. She glanced at me and then put on a bright smile before facing Mercedes. "I am Stella, Byleth's adorable and beloved little sister!" She bowed her head a bit and said, "It is a pleasure to meet you!"

"What a lovely name!" Mercedes smiled and said, "It's nice to meet you, Stella! I'm Mercedes, but you can call me Mercie!" She glanced over at me and said, "Now I know Byleth enjoys sweets since he likes to bake, but do you like sweets too?"

Stella nodded. "Of course! That is why we came to this café." She frowned and eyed Jeritza's dessert. "…Though I did not expect to be waiting this long."

"Well if you would like, I can bake you some treats next time!" Mercedes eyed Stella's uniform and said, "You're joining the academy, aren't you? We'll be seeing each other a lot then!"

"I suppose… though you are in the Blue Lions, are you not?"

"Ah!" Mercedes glanced at me and said, "Has she already decided on a house, Byleth?"

I nodded. "I figured it would be best for her to join mine, so she's a member of the Black Eagles… and our adopted mascot."

Stella frowned and stomped my foot. "Quit that!"

I smiled.

Mercedes covered her mouth and said, "My. Well, even if we're in different houses, feel free to talk with me any time you want, okay, Stella? Oh! And if you want, we can hang out and bake some treats! Ah." She paused and looked at me. "That is, if it's alright with you, Byleth?"

"Of course." I nodded and patted Stella's head. "My dear sister could use a few more friends."

Stella stiffened and glared at me.

_First the bundle of joy and optimism, now a practical saint? _

Hey, lighten up a bit. Besides, I wouldn't want you to become a tomboy like Leonie by hanging around me too much.

Mercedes laughed and shook her head. "You two seem quite close."

Stella crossed her arms and slumped in her seat. "Unfortunately."

I placed a hand on my chest and said, "I'm hurt, dear sister. To think that your rebellious phase started so soon. And with your first-"

"Byleth!" Stella flushed and glared at me.

I grinned.

At that time, the waitress returned with a towering platter of desserts. "One Princess Delight, and an iced mocha." She placed the platter in front of Stella and then passed me a glass topped with whipped cream. "Enjoy! I'll be at the counter if you need me!" After that, she left.

I glanced over at Stella's order.

The 'Princess Delight' was a giant porcelain bowl filled to the brim with ice cream, brownies, cream, and strawberries, all surrounded with a sampling of various pastries. Cookies, mini donuts… it was definitely a heart bomb with how much cream and sugar was packed together in one place. Not to mention the fact that the thing was literally the size of sister's head.

Stella gasped when she saw her order. With awed eyes, she carefully took the silver spoon tucked in the side of the dessert mountain and took a bite. When she did, her round blue eyes widened and literally sparkled with delight. She let out a happy sound and started digging in.

I shook my head and looked at my order.

It was a tall glass, the fancy sort that they usually served shakes with. Except that it was coffee. Sweet, delicious coffee, but blended with imported Almyran chocolate and topped with fresh whipped cream.

I took a sip.

The familiar bitterness of coffee seeped through, but the hints of chocolate and cream diminished it a bit. Not in a bad way though. The sweetness wasn't overbearing and instead served to highlight the bitterness of the rich coffee.

Not bad. Definitely different from the completely overwhelming sweet chocolate mochas I was used to back on Earth, but in a good way. Subdued and sophisticated.

…Or maybe it was because I was too poor to get real mochas and was stuck with the ones from Caribou and Starbucks.

Either way, it was really good.

"My." Mercedes glanced at Stella for a moment and then shifted her gaze to me. "Your sister has quite the healthy appetite!"

I looked over at Jeritza, who was already half-way through his own giant dessert dish and said, "Your brother seems the same."

Mercedes laughed. "That's true!"

I took another sip from my mocha and then paused. "…Did you not order anything Mercie?"

Her eyes widened for a brief moment.

At the same time, I noticed Jeritza's narrow.

I blinked and said, "Did I say something wrong?"

Mercedes shook her head and said, "Nothing, Byleth! And to answer your question, I already ate." She sighed. "Unfortunately, I don't have a very large appetite. It's a struggle sometimes to even finish the meals they give us at school."

Jeritza frowned. "Mercedes. You mustn't do that."

"Oh, I know Emile!" She smiled and said, "And thank you for worrying about me! Ah, but don't worry. I make sure to eat all my veggies and have a healthy diet!" She paused. "And that reminds me!" She pointed at me and said, "Have you been eating, Byleth? Don't think I've forgotten how you said you skipped your meals! …And you seem a bit thinner than last time too!"

"Yeah, well…" I took a sip from my mocha and said, "Comes with getting another person plopped down into your life."

Stella huffed, setting down her spoon, and said, "Do not blame this on me! You were already skipping meals before I arrived!"

"True… but the added stress you bring doesn't help- Oh. You've got some cream on your face." I picked up a napkin and wiped Stella's cheek. "There you go."

Stella sighed. "You should take some of that concern about me and use it for yourself! Honestly, half the time I wonder if you do not forget that you are your own person and not just a background character…"

"Heh. That'd be nice…"

It'd be great if I could just be a background character in all of this. Unfortunately, 'Byleth', and in turn myself, was destined to be the central point around the future conflict whether I wanted to or not.

…Well, I suppose I could always run away, but that'd defeat the point of accepting the professorship in the first place.

Mercedes frowned and then turned towards Stella. "Well, now that you're here, Stella, you make sure that your brother is eating well, alright? And if he isn't, make sure to tell me! We'll get him to eat regular meals even if we have to drag all the other houses into it!"

I set down my glass. "…That's a bit extreme, isn't it?"

Stella shook her head. "For you, it might be the only method to ensure it… An intervention, so to speak."

I sighed. "If it worries you that much, I'll just go eat at the dining hall with Delly every day." I frowned and said, "She's probably forgetting to eat too, now that I think about it."

Knowing her, she'd be skipping meals and lazing about eating sweets unless someone stopped her. Especially now that she decided to double-down on the more carefree lifestyle.

Mercedes tilted her head. "Delly?"

Before I could answer, Jeritza did. "He means Lady Edelgard."

"Oh?" Mercedes placed her elbows on the table and leaned her head on her right hand. "Why, it sounds like there's a story there!"

Jeritza nodded. He set down his spoon and said, "I was surprised. Lady Edelgard recently rearranged her plans to suit Byleth." He looked at me and shook his head. "She places quite a great deal of faith in you and your skills." He paused and then said, "We should spar. Soon. Only then can I know if you will-" He suddenly cut himself off, glancing at Mercedes.

She tilted her head. "If Byleth will what, Emile?"

"…Nothing, sister."

"Why, saying that makes me even more curious, Emile!" She looked at me and said, "Do you know, Byleth?"

"Probably just to see which of us is better. I mean, Jeritza _is_ the fencing instructor. I've… kind of taken his place in the Black Eagles with my recent lesson plans though."

Jeritza's brow furrowed. It seemed like he hadn't realized that fact yet. "Indeed. You have…"

With the way his voice trailed off, it seemed that he wasn't too happy about that. No, more like… he was eager to fight?

"Ah, Emile!" Mercedes pointed at Jeritza's bowl and said, "Your cookies are getting soggy!"

"…!" Jeritza's eyes widened and he quickly returned to eating his dessert.

I blinked, caught off-guard by the mood whiplash.

…I didn't have enough caffeine in me to deal with that yet, so I took another sip from my mocha.

When I did, I noticed that Mercedes was staring at me. "What?"

She chuckled and shook her head. "Nothing, Byleth. I was just thinking about how similar you and Emile are."

I paused and glanced at Jeritza. When I did, I noticed that he was staring at me too.

"I don't think we're that similar."

"We are nothing alike."

Mercedes tilted her head. "I disagree! You two both care a great deal for your sister and hide your emotions behind that gloomy face. You're both really skilled at fighting too, aren't you? And you're professors!"

I frowned. "While you're not… wrong. There's a big difference between me and your brother."

Jeritza nodded, a frown on his face as well. "Yes… a grave difference indeed."

Stella scoffed. "Considering the lengths you were willing to go to in order to save your students, I believe that difference is marginal, Byleth. And not quite in your favor."

"That's-"

I paused.

…Huh. She had a point.

The Death Knight came about in order to protect Mercedes. A ruthless killer that both dealt and craved death due to his origins.

Me… I had killed a lot of people in cold blood as the Ashen Demon. However, I didn't really feel much regret over it. Even 'me', reflecting on it now just saw it as a matter of course, with cold detachment.

Both of us had killed scores of people in cold blood. However, while Jeritza felt some measure of guilt, I… saw it as inevitable.

Not only that, but if the time came to choose between the world and my students… I had a feeling that someone worse than the Death Knight might be born.

Jeritza stared at me.

Did he sense my thoughts? For a moment, his eyes widened, the expression of someone recognizing a similar person.

I frowned.

Mercedes shook her head. "Well, either way I hope you two get along. Emile doesn't have many friends, you see, so it'd be nice if you could be his, Byleth."

Jeritza shook his head. "I do not need friends…" He glanced at me. "…But I suppose a sparring partner would suffice."

"A sparring partner, huh?" I placed my hand on my chin. "Well, I suppose it would be nice to have someone to test my skills against."

Mercedes frowned and then sighed. "Well, I suppose that's as good as I'll get…"

I shrugged and took another sip from my mocha. As I did, I idly scanned the room… and then I saw a peculiar reflection in the glass case.

I stared at Mercedes and said, "Hey, Mercie."

"Yes, Byleth?"

I glanced at that reflection and said, "You didn't come to the village with anyone else, right?"

"Well," Mercedes said. "I wanted to invite Annie to come with me, but she said that she was going to do something with the rest of the Blue Lions. Why do you ask?"

I drained the rest of my mocha and said, "Looks like we've got a couple of unexpected cats prowling about then." I placed my glass back on the table and walked towards the entrance.

The moment I did, some familiar faces quickly ducked away from the window. Unfortunately, they were a bit too slow.

I opened the door and called out. "Dimitri! What a pleasant surprise, seeing you and the rest of the Blue Lions this lovely evening!"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I was really craving sweets, alright? Just ran out of the rest we had left from Thursday... though I suppose that's a good thing considering all I've been eating. :sweat:

Jeritza is a riot. Reading through his support conversations again, I realized that Byleth's interactions with Jeritza is probably about what an average person who heard about the Ashen Demon would feel interacting with Byleth after he fell into his role as a professor. The two are really quite similar in hindsight, especially in Crimson Flower. At least, that's how I feel.

Not much else to say about this, I think?

Hopefully it was enjoyable.

Thanks for reading and your input, as always, and I'll see you tomorrow.

Er... hopefully early. But with how things have been recently, this might become a regular thing... we'll see.


	53. Awkward

**Author's Notes:**

FFN did the thing. Friendly reminder that there's another chapter before this one that didn't get reported as updated when I posted it.

* * *

I stared at the group of students in front of me and frowned.

After being exposed, Dimitri and the other Blue Lions couldn't just run away, so we had all regathered inside the café at one of the long tables.

Stella, like before, sat to my right. She was a bit upset at being interrupted from her dessert, but since I ordered her some more, she calmed down and focused on finished her Princess Delight.

To my left was Mercedes, and to her left, Jeritza, who was eating yet another large bowl of confections, this time an assortment of sorbets.

The four of us that had been peacefully enjoying our time in the café were seated across from the wrongdoers that thought it was a good idea to interrupt- no, to stalk us this entire time.

Dimitri sat directly across from me, pointedly averting his gaze. His hair was disheveled, as if he had ignored combing for the day and ran straight here. Moreover, even his clothes were askew. While he wore the usual black uniform, his blue cloak was nowhere to be seen.

To Dimitri's immediate left, and so across the table to my right, was Ingrid. Like Dimitri, she looked uncomfortable about the whole affair and looked everywhere but across the table.

In contrast, Sylvain, seated beside Ingrid, was completely nonchalant and eyeing the waitress in his spare time.

To Dimitri's immediate right, and so across from Mercedes, was Annette. Like Dimitri, it seemed that she had forgotten to tidy up. Her usual curled hair was scattered about in light curls. Also like Dimitri, she looked a bit upset at being caught, visibly flinching when meeting my eye.

Next to Annette was Felix. Of course, par for the course, he looked completely fed up with the affair and was leaning back with his arms crossed, ignoring everyone.

Finally, to Felix's left, were Ashe and Dedue, with the Man of Duscur seated on the end.

Dedue was notably calm about the whole situation and simply waiting.

Ashe… was also calm. Well, mostly because he was scanning through a menu. From his intense gaze though, it felt more like he was trying to reverse engineer than order.

For a moment there was a tense silence, with only the sounds of Jeritza and Stella eating.

That silence was broken by a long sigh from Mercedes. She shook her head and then frowned, looking at Dimitri. "You should know better than this, Dimitri! As the leader of the Blue Lions, you shouldn't be encouraging the entire class to break monastery rules!"

Dimitri nodded, bowing his head. "Understood, Mercedes. And I apologize."

Mercedes shook her head. "Don't apologize to me! Apologize to Professor Hanneman when you get back! Or did you forget that he's the one who's going to get into trouble for you all sneaking out?"

Felix scoffed. "Inform that weakling? He's spent more time in his books than teaching us. What good would that do?"

"Felix!" Ingrid leaned across the table and glared at the dour swordsman. "Don't talk about our Professor like that!"

Felix raised up his hands and said, "What am I supposed to say? That we'll get permission next time? That I care? I might go along with the boar because of _that_, but I'm not going to waste my breath playing with words."

Sylvain laughed and glanced at Felix. "That's funny. I remember a certain conversation at the greenhouse with a certain someone that says otherwise."

Annette gasped. "You were there?!"

Sylvain laced his hands behind his head and said, "I was on my way to grab some flowers for a date when I heard some singing. And wouldn't you know it? I saw my dear pal Felix walking in with a smile on his face, so I couldn't resist. You know?"

Annette moaned and shook her head, burying it in the table. "I'm ruined!"

Mercedes laughed. "My, Annie! I didn't know you were interested in Felix! You should have told me."

"Sylvain, you bastard!" Felix stood up and reached for his sword.

"H-Hey!" Sylvain stood up as well. "Chill! I'm just joking! I wasn't there at all!"

"That is far too specific for a joke, Sylvain."

Ashe stood up and moved between Felix and Sylvain. He looked at the two and said, "Let's not get too hasty, guys! We should all calm down and relax. I mean, our food hasn't even arrived yet!"

Dedue nodded, turning back to glance at them. "Ashe is correct. Moreover, have you forgotten where we are?" His eyes narrowed and said, "Or do you intend to demean His Majesty in public?"

Felix let out a long sigh and sat back down.

Seeing that, Sylvain did as well… and immediately got his foot stomped on by Ingrid.

"Ow!"

"Idiot." Ingrid shook her head and then sighed.

Ashe went back to his seat as well.

Watching the entire exchange, I couldn't help but sigh.

And here I had thought my students were a rowdy bunch. With the way the Blue Lions acted, it didn't surprise me that Hanneman preferred to research and leave things to Dimitri to sort out…

Dimitri sighed. "Thank you, Ashe. Dedue." He then turned to me and said, "And I apologize for the disturbance, Byleth. Believe me when I say that I had not intention of ruining your day off."

"Right. Then mind explaining-"

Before I could finish, there was the sound of a spoon clattering against an empty bowl to my left. Soon after, there was the sound of a chair scraping against the floor.

Jeritza stood up.

"Emile?" Mercedes looked to her brother and said, "What are you doing?"

"I am done." He rummaged in his pocket and placed ten Seiros Sovereigns on the table. After that, he started to leave.

"Wait!" Mercedes rummaged in her pouch and placed a few platinum Sovereigns on the table as well before chasing after him. "I'll come with you!"

Jeritza paused. "But your friends-"

"They can wait! It's been far too long since we've seen each other!" Mercedes walked over to Jeritza's side and grabbed his hand. "There's a lot we need to make up for, you know? I won't let you off that easily!"

Jeritza sighed, but noticeably didn't shake free from Mercedes's grasp. "Do as you wish."

The bell above the door jingled and the pair left the café.

Ingrid crossed her arms and then glared at Felix. "Now look what you've done! You've made Mercie and her long lost brother leave! During their reunion too!"

"What_ I_ have done?" Felix narrowed his eyes and pointed at Sylvain. "He's the one who started it by bringing up that event!"

Sylvain held up his hands. "Hey, don't blame this on me!"

At that time, the waitress walked over towards me with a platter of desserts. Stella's latest samplings as well as another mocha for me. Still, before she set them down, the waitress glanced at the arguing students and said, "U-Um… should I come back?"

I smiled at her. "It's fine. You can set them down here." I gestured towards the space in front of me and then said, "I'm sorry for the disturbance by the way."

The waitress relaxed on seeing my smile and nodded. "It's fine." She set the orders down and then leaned over towards me. "That red-haired young man causes more ruckuses with his dates anyway."

I bit back a grin at hearing that.

Well, the café _would_ be a popular place for dates… and with Sylvain's reputation, I could see that messy breakups were common. Though, for it to be bad enough that the help casually whispered it to me…

I picked up my glass of mocha and took a sip, hiding the smile starting to break through.

The waitress collected the coins Mercedes and Jeritza left behind and then made her way back to the kitchen, no doubt to prepare the rest of the orders.

It seemed that the waitress's return and departure was enough to calm things down.

Once again, silence reigned, broken only by the sound of Stella's spoon occasionally scraping against her bowl.

A bit of cream was on Stella's face, left behind from her confectionary excavation.

I smiled and then wiped it off with a napkin. That done, I finally turned my full attention to the rather rude gatecrashers that had been prowling around all day.

My smile dropped and I narrowed my eyes. "So. Care to explain why you all were following us?"

Dimitri coughed. "It is… a long story, Byleth."

Ingrid rolled her eyes. "Just tell it like it is, Dimitri." She shook her head and then looked at me. "You can blame this on Sylvain, Professor. That jerk wouldn't stop talking on and on about a mysterious beautiful young girl that appeared in the academy the other day hanging around Edelgard."

"Hey!" Sylvain shook his head and said, "Dimitri wanted to check her out too!"

"Because you said she looked a bit like the professor, Sylv!" Ingrid sighed. "Of _course_ Dimitri would be worried after that!"

I raised an eyebrow and looked towards Dimitri. Also, I made a mental note to convince Hanneman to let me take over training sessions one day to give Sylvain personal sparring lessons.

"Ingrid is right, Byleth," Dimitri said. "What with recent events, I wished to confirm that you were not being fooled."

Stella stopped eating and huffed. "How rude!" She pointed her spoon at Dimitri and said, "You do not see me accusing you of being a villain for associating with my brother."

Dimitri nodded his head. "And I must ask your apologies for that, Miss. I had not intention to doubt you. It is just…" He frowned. "You must understand how odd it is for you to appear at this time… as well as-"

Stella shook her head. "If you are that curious, you can confirm with Seteth and your dear sister."

Hearing that, Annette frowned. "You know, she has a point, Dimitri." She looked at her house leader and said, "What were you so worried about anyway? You looked like you had seen a ghost when you heard about it from Sylvain…"

"That is…" Dimitri sighed. "I suppose I was being overcautious." He turned towards Stella and bowed his head. "I apologize, Miss."

She took another bite from her Princess Delight. "Hm… I will accept your apology. After all, your actions were done in concern for my brother."

Dimitri smiled. "Thank you for your understanding."

Felix sighed and stood up. "What a waste of time." He shook his head and said, "I thought we were going out to fight, but idle chatter? Tch. I'm going back."

"Wait Felix!" Annette stood up and said, "I'll come with you!"

"…Do what you want." Felix shook his head and walked off, Annette in tow.

The bell rang and then they were gone as well.

I stared at the entrance for a bit and said, "They do know that they're going to get in trouble for returning without a chaperone, right?"

Sylvain shrugged. "Well, you're the reason we're in this mess, so I'm sure we can count on you to bail us out, right Professor Byleth?"

I shook my head. "I'm not the one who thought it was a good idea to trail a professor on their day off. And you're lucky it was me and not Jeritza or Manuela."

Jeritza… that guy would have attacked first and asked questions later, especially since he had been with his beloved older sister at the time.

Manuela… considering what she set out to do, I had a feeling that anyone seeing her visit would have been sworn to secrecy under a healthy amount of force… or have their trips to the infirmary be quite unpleasant in the forseeable future.

Sylvain smiled. "Well, it's good that we decided to follow you instead of Mercedes, right?"

"I guess I do owe Hanneman a lot with all he's been helping me." The Crest Scholar was basically doing overtime every night with my research. I shook my head and said, "I'll bail you guys out. It'd be rude to drop Hanneman with all that extra paperwork… but don't think I'll let this slide twice."

Dimitri sighed. "Thank you, Byleth." He smiled and said, "I suppose we should introduce ourselves then." He looked to Stella and placed a hand on his chest. "I am Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, House Leader of the Blue Lions. You… unfortunately know Sylvain-"

"-Hey!"

"-But next to him is my dear childhood friend Ingrid. I can assure you that she is much more chivalrous than the rather insensitive Sylvain."

Ingrid waved. "A pleasure to meet you!"

Dimitri waved to the door and said, "The rather dour swordsman who left was Felix, another childhood friend of mine. He might appear rude, but he is honestly kind at heart… Ah, and the one following him was Annette, the most studious in our group." He pointed to Ashe and said, "Finally we have Ashe, the best cook and archer in the Blue Lions, if not the entire Officers Academy."

Ashe blushed and scratched the back of his head. "I'm honored with the praise, Dimitri, but that's a bit much…"

"I speak only the truth, Ashe. I assure you." After that, Dimitri pointed to Dedue. "And finally we have Dedue, a dear friend of mine who has stayed with me through thick and thin."

Dedue nodded. "It is nice to meet you."

Dimitri looked at Stella and said, "Now, who might you be, Miss?"

Stella placed down her spoon and grinned. "Hu-hum! I am Stella Eisner, Byleth's-"

"Bratty and mischievous little sister who eats far too many sweets for her own good."

Stella huffed and poked me. "Rude!"

I shook my head. "At the rate your introduction is growing, we might be here for hours."

Stella flushed. "It is not that bad!"

"Every time you've introduced yourself, you've added another word to your title. Don't tell me you weren't planning to again."

"W-well…"

Dimitri laughed.

Stella huffed and glared at him. "And what are you laughing at?!"

Dimitri shook his head. "My apologies. It is just…" He stared at me, a strange emotion in his eyes. "I never expected that I could see such an interaction from Byleth." He smiled and said, "It reminds me quite a bit of how I used to be with El, actually." He paused and then said, "So I suppose there is no doubting the true sibling bond you two share…"

Stella frowned and said, "For a prince, you sure are rude. Did your mother never teach you manners?"

A dead silence filled the room.

Stella froze. "W-What?"

I facepalmed. "Stella. Dimitri-"

"It is fine, Byleth." Dimitri shook his head. "And I never knew my mother, Stella, so I would not know."

"A-Ah." Stella lowered her gaze. "My apologies."

The waitress returned with another platter, this time proper entrees. She noticed the atmosphere and said, "…Should I come back in a bit?"

I sighed.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

A bit of a shorter chapter. Ran out of time in the day. Hope it's still enjoyable though.

Thanks for reading and your input, as always.

See you tomorrow!


	54. Blue Moonlight

Thankfully, after my sister's awkward comment, the rest of the meal went by without a hitch. Casual banter, some idle chatter… when we finished, I left a big tip for the waitress and took on the role as the group's chaperone for the trip back.

Well, most of the group.

Sylvain bailed a short time before paying, making some excuse about needing to check up on some people and Ingrid left in pursuit.

Dimitri, as the House Leader, responsibly covered their tabs… though from the resigned expression on his face, it seemed like the pair leaving was a regular thing.

That left me, Dimitri, Dedue, Ashe, and my dear sister as the ones heading back to the monastery.

It was night time, with only the moon to give us light to see by. And speaking of the moon, I noticed that it was reaching the full moon. I hadn't paid much attention to it recently, but with how bright it was, I couldn't help but notice.

From the look of things, the full moon would happen in a few days. If I remembered lunar phases right, that probably meant the night of the mock battle.

…Which meant that the months in Fodlan began and ended with a full moon with the new moon in the middle.

Maybe that was why the missions were always at the end of the month?

I shook my head and focused.

We were walking back up the trail to the monastery. Taking the lead were Ashe, Dedue, and Stella.

The three of them had bonded over desserts and favorite foods, so they walked together and continued their conversation even after leaving the café.

As for why they were walking in front, it was mostly because Dedue was the best vanguard and Ashe had a good intuition for danger from the darker points in his life. Since Stella was the helpless one in our group during an ambush-

_I am not!_

-despite her protests, I decided that it was safest to keep her there with those two and with me in the back, ready to act should something go wrong.

As a result, Dimitri and I were serving as the rearguard, myself for the previously mentioned reasons, and Dimitri because he insisted on not leaving me alone.

From up above, Ashe's bright voice echoed. "You like wolves too? My little sister adores them! There's a pack that roams around Castle Gaspard every now and then. Every time they do, I have to make sure to keep an extra eye on her since she tries to go out to pet them."

"How foolish." Stella shook her head and said, "Does she not know how dangerous that could be?"

Ashe laughed. "Well, she's only ten, so she can be a bit silly at times. The last time I wrote to her, she said that she was going to make it her goal to be a wolf tamer."

Dedue spoke up. "That is not too farfetched. In Duscur, it was common to tame wolves to aid in herding livestock."

"Really?!" Ashe gasped and said, "You've got to tell me more about that, Dedue! My sister would love it!"

"Me too!" Stella jumped and said, "That would be perfect!"

I shook my head, smiling. Stella really was having the time of her life. It was enough to make me forget that she was a literal Goddess.

"You seem happy." Dimitri called out to me.

"Hm?" I glanced over to see him staring at me, an amused look on his face.

"It is rare to see you express such emotions, Byleth. Even when with El, I have yet to see such a carefree smile on your face."

"Yeah, well… I guess Stella just brings that out in me." And not just 'me' too. Maybe it was because I literally had her heart next to mine, but seeing her happy made me happy, even through Byleth's usual poker face.

"Stella…" Dimitri repeated her name and then placed his right hand on his chin. He looked at me and said, "Byleth… if it is not too personal, might I ask how long you have known your sister?"

"How long?"

Dimitri nodded. "Yes. Ah, but it is not because I am suspicious of her or anything like that. Merely… I am curious." He glanced over at Stella and then shifted his gaze back to me. "You are not the type of person to have a sister and not mention her."

"Mm… you're right about that. But just because you're right doesn't mean I would."

Dimitri blinked. "Pardon? I'm afraid I don't quite understand…"

I stretched and stared at Stella, making it seem like I was lost in thought. In actuality, I was running through her backstory and my part in it.

"…Well, I've known Stella for most of my life. Despite that, it's only been recently that we managed to meet in person… Ah." I looked at Dimitri and said, "It's pretty much like you and your sister."

"El and I?" Dimitri frowned and then nodded. "Yes. In that case, I suppose I can see why you would have kept it quiet…"

I laced my hands behind my head and said, "Any reason why you're so concerned though? If anything, I would have thought that you'd be more worried about your dear sister El."

"I am worried about her," Dimitri said. "However, she has Hubert at her side." He laughed and shook his head. "That man… I would not find it hard to believe if he was already dead and simply refuses to accept that fact. Were I the suspicious type, I might even believe him to be a vengeful spirit protecting my beloved sister."

Dimitri smiled at the end of his words, as if amused by an inside joke.

I smiled and lowered my hands. "Yeah… I think it'd take an act of God…dess. An act of the Goddess to take him down."

Which, in hindsight, was true, wasn't it? The guy was basically Rasputin, refusing to stay dead despite being mortally wounded like three different times and purposefully foiling the plans of the Agarthans.

In fact… he only dies because Byleth makes it impossible for Edelgard's dream to come true, right? It's not until the penultimate battle where death finally sticks on the guy.

…Suddenly, I was thankful that I had him as an ally rather than an enemy. With how things were messed up and his cunning, I didn't even want to think about what he could do.

On the other hand, that meant that he'd probably be great in helping me sort things out with all the unknown variables…

Hm. I should probably talk with him about that. Also with Delly in the room for added gravitas so he doesn't blow me off.

"Byleth?" Dimitri stared at me, concern in his eyes.

I shook my head. "Sorry. Lost in thought."

He smiled. "Ah. Some things never change then.

"Hm?"

Dimitri shook his head. "Nothing. Just musing to myself." He turned his gaze back forward and then muttered, "But… is this how it should have been? If he had chosen El, then…"

"That doesn't sound like 'nothing' to me, Dimitri."

The prince winced and then coughed into his hand. "D-Don't mind me. I was simply… thinking. Yes, thinking about the… future." He cringed the moment he said that word and then said, "In any case, Byleth. I am glad that you are taking the time to relax."

That was a blatant subject change if there ever was one.

I raised an eyebrow and said, "You know, Dimitri… You're not a good liar."

He flinched.

"…But I suppose it isn't that important."

There would come a point where I'd have to address the elephant in the room about me knowing the future with everyone… but that'd probably best be done where everyone was all together and after things had settled down.

Though with at the rate things were going…

Dimitri sighed. "Thank you, Byleth. Your trust in me… I appreciate it. Truly. And… I will explain it someday to you. Just…"

"Not now. I got it."

Dimitri smiled. "In any case… Having your sister with you must have really brightened up your days. To think that the infamous Ashen Demon could be so relaxed is almost unimaginable."

I raised an eyebrow. "Been digging into my past, have you?"

Dimitri shrugged. "Well I have to do the bare minimum if you are to be my brother-in-law soon, do I not?"

Was it coincidence, or because I pushed back against Fate too much? At that exact time, my foot stepped down on a part of the ground that was a bit too soft from the rain, causing me to stumble. I quickly righted myself, but the fact that it happened at all…

I shook my head and then sighed. "Not you too."

"What?" Dimitri narrowed his eyes. "Do not tell me that you are planning to toy with El's heart and then cast her aside."

"Of course not! Just…" I frowned. "What's with everyone pushing me to marry her? You, my students… even Manuela!"

Dimitri blinked and then he said, "You cannot be this dense."

"What? Dense? Me?!"

Dimitri shook his head and said, "Have you not seen how my sister acts around you, Byleth? Cold, aloof Edelgard, future Emperor of Adrestria… and yet with you, she is like a young housewife awaiting her honeymoon."

I rolled my eyes. "Give me _some_ credit, Dimitri. I'm already well aware of Delly's feelings towards me."

I'd have to be Caspar to not get it… well, actually he noticed early on, didn't he?

Wait. Did that mean that I- no. It wasn't that bad. I was just purposefully ignoring it, not unaware.

Right. At least I wasn't the one who had a girl invite him up to her room and thought they were going to play a game or do chores.

Dimitri stared at me and then frowned. "Then what makes you surprised about the talk? Is it your credentials? Your age? Your position?"

I gave him a deadpan look and said, "It's only been a few days. You're telling me that you expect me to up and propose after that short a time period?"

Dimitri paused and then nodded, suddenly enlightened. "Ah. I presume you do not know the tale of how Edelgard's parents met then."

"Hm?"

Dimitri shook his head and said, "While it is a famous tale… I will leave the details for my sister to tell you. Suffice to say, love at first sight is not an uncommon thing for the Adrestrian Emperor, let alone marrying right out of the academy."

I blinked, my mind grinding to a screeching halt.

That… was right, wasn't it? In the Goddess Tower event, Edelgard said how her father and mother were enthralled with each other the moment they met. A true 'love at first sight'. Destiny, even.

Suddenly, I felt a headache coming on and groaned. "So _that's_ why they've been saying I'm scared of commitment?"

Dimitri paused. "While I dare not ask who 'they' are… It is true that Emperor Ionius proposed that very night. Framed in such context, I suppose your actions might be seen as such."

I shook my head and then stared at Dimitri. "Yeah, well… What about you, future King of Faerghus? Do you have a queen in mind yet for when you take the throne?"

"Th-That…" Dimitri blushed and then said, "We are talking about you, Byleth, not myself!"

"You're not getting off the hook that easy, 'future brother-in-law'."

I wasn't about to just get teased and leave it at that. Seeing Dimitri was getting uncomfortable, I smiled and said, "Who is it? That blush tells me that you've got someone in mind. Is it… Annette? Mercedes?" I paused, remembering the party a few days back, and then grinned. "Or maybe it's the soft-spoken and polite Marianne?"

Dimitri's scarlet face darkened, turning as red as a tomato. "That is none of your business, Byleth!"

"Sure, sure… though for the record, I think Marianne's a good fit for you."

Both of them were repentant about their past and were working through their problems every day. And, if I remembered right, when they were paired together they had a wonderful ending with true love.

…Actually, from how Dimitri was reacting, I wondered if they actually got married in his time too? Knowing me, and knowing 'me', I was pretty sure that Dimitri's Byleth would have tried to get them together as well.

Dimitri shook his head. "Even if that is the case, I doubt she-"

"Also, I'm pretty sure she likes you-"

"Truly?!" In an instant, Dimitri closed the gap and grabbed my hand, holding it like a life-line.

I rolled my eyes and shook his hand off. "And you called me dense… did you not see how she was acting around you at the party? She lit up like a light- ah, like the morning sun when you talked with her. Marianne, Miss Gloom-And-Doom, turning into Miss Sunshine and laughing at how awkward you were… if that isn't a sign that she likes you, then I don't know what is."

Dimitri coughed and then frowned, lost in thought. "That… are you certain, Byleth?"

I laughed and placed my arm around his shoulders. "Don't worry. I'll bug Claude to hook you two up sometimes… Maybe even get either Hanneman or Manuela to have you two go out on a mission together."

Dimitri gave me a wry smile and said, "Claude? Knowing him, I would never live it down."

"Hey, better to get laughed at and share it with the love of your life than get laughed at alone, right?"

"Like how you are right now when people ask why you have yet to propose to El?"

"Ouch." I stepped back and said, "That hurt."

Dimitri shook his head. "The truth tends to do that, yes."

"…Guess I should rethink inviting you and Marianne out for lunch together, huh?"

Dimitri's eyes widened and he said, "N-Now let us not get too hasty, Byleth!"

I smiled and picked up the pace.

"Byleth!" Dimitri jogged after me until he was by my side.

I turned my head and said, "Relax. I was just joking."

"Ah. That is… No. I suppose I deserved that." He sighed.

For a while, we walked side by side in silence. Well, silence accompanied by the idle chatter from my sister and the others walking in front of us.

From what I could hear, it was something about the pros and cons of disciplining wolves with raw versus cooked meat… as well as the importance of asserting dominance among the pack.

Interesting, but not too important.

I felt Dimitri's eyes on me and looked over.

The prince shook his head and said, "You know, Byleth… you are different than what I expected."

"How so?"

"Not to be rude," Dimitri said. "But at this point in time, I thought you would be more… serious." He frowned and gave me a careful gaze. "For a mercenary suddenly becoming a professor, you are adjusting quite well."

I shrugged. "Well, with how much expectation I'm getting from my students and everyone else, it'd be bad not to meet it, right?"

Dimitri shook his head. "I did not mean your role as a professor. Rather…" He paused, staring to the side as if trying to remember something. "I thought that you would have been more… somber. Serious. And yet…" He turned to look at me and said, "You are not. If anything, you are the antithesis of that."

"Hey, I'm plenty serious."

Dimitri gave me a look. The same one people gave when they clearly didn't believe you, but didn't feel like verbally calling out your BS.

"…Alright, maybe not recently. But with everything that's happened, a bit of levity goes a long way, right? Especially in a situation like-"

I froze.

Beside me, Dimitri did as well, his right hand reaching towards the sword kept at his left side. "Do you feel that?"

"I do." I narrowed my eyes and looked around.

Up ahead, the three had come to a stop. Dedue moved to the front, using his body to guard Stella, while Ashe moved behind them, the gray-haired archer carefully surveying the area.

We were a quarter of the way up the mountain trail. Too far to run back to the village, but also a long way from Garreg Mach.

There were trees to our right, with a steep slope to our left, along with the running stream.

"…I don't see anything though."

And that was odd. Even with my eyes, nothing looked out of the ordinary. Yet, I could sense it. Keen intuition and years dancing on the edge of life and death told me that it was dangerous. That something or someone was lying in wait here.

But why would-

A faint shimmer further up the path. Barely visible in the night with only the moon to see by… no, even in daytime, it might have gone unnoticed.

It was brief, only a split second. Short enough that I could have imagined it, and faint enough that it could have just been a breeze.

But I knew better. With all I'd done, the world wouldn't let me off that lightly.

Then, if I couldn't see them, that meant that our enemies were…

I dashed to the side, using wind to increase my speed.

"Byleth?!" Dimitri called out. "What are you-"

I ignored him. Instead, I focused on grabbing as many leaves as I could, as well as anything flammable. That done, I jumped up into the sky and burned them with as hot a flame as I could form before sending the ashes scattering around us with a gust of wind.

…It would have been better if I had flour, but you used what you could get.

Stella was the first to react. She looked up at me, scowling at the gray ashes on her clothes and said, "What do you think you are doing at a time like… this?" Her words trailed off and her eyes widened.

I didn't have enough to blanket our surroundings, but what little I spread revealed the source of the strange feeling.

Three hooded figures, caught in the midst of closing in on us from the sides. But just because there were three didn't mean those were the only ones.

Realizing they were seen, the figures ran off, quickly brushing away the ash that had revealed their position.

I landed on the ground next to Dimitri and grimaced. "Invisibility- no, cloaking, huh? Seems like I underestimated them."

"Stay close, Stella!" Ashe pulled out a dagger from his sleeve and moved to Stella's side, carefully scanning the surroundings.

My sister drew her own weapon, the dagger I told her to keep as insurance. The golden hue of the blade shone as she drew it from her side, holding it in a reverse grip. "Worry about yourself first, Ashe. I am not so helpless as your siblings."

He laughed. "Guess you're right, considering your family. Still… be careful." The gray-haired archer's eyes narrowed. "These guys… aren't your ordinary bandits."

Dedue pulled out a pair of iron knuckles from his pocket and put them on. After that, he shifted his body slightly. "…Orders, Your Majesty?"

Dimitri looked to me and then said, "We follow Professor Byleth's lead in this battle."

Dedue nodded. "Understood."

"Me? No, of course it's me. I'm the adult here… damn."

I shook my head and focused. Like a flip was switched, my mind calmed down and I carefully analyzed the situation.

Our enemy was invisible and the number was unknown. Their objective as well.

For a moment, I considered if they were after Stella… but that was unlikely. With how tight the monastery was, word couldn't have gotten out that fast. Even if it did, they would have only learned that she was my sister, and not anything about her Crests. Also, all traces of her divine mana were absent now that she was Stella, meaning that wasn't likely.

Then… was this a trap for the Blue Lions?

Possible, but… something told me that wasn't it.

I shook my head.

The motive didn't matter. What did was what I was going to do about it.

I glanced around. Now that I knew they were here as well as what to look for, I could see them. Almost as if my mind was helping me, faint red hazes spread out across our surroundings, revealing how many enemy we faced.

When I saw that, I blanched. "Well… damn."

"Byleth?" Dimitri looked at me.

I shook my head and quickly ran over to Stella and the others.

Dimitri followed after me, his sword held loose at his side.

When I got close, Ashe tilted his head, his face grim, and whispered, "Professor Byleth? Are you… seeing this too?"

There were twenty people lying in wait all along the trail, and those were only the ones I could see right now. A squad of archers in the forest, what looked like assassins hiding near the river… and some _in_ the river.

I reached for my sword… and then remembered that I didn't bring one. That being the case, I took up a boxer's stance, carefully wrapping threads of mana around my limbs to protect them.

"I do, Ashe." I moved over to Stella's right side. That done, I looked at her and said, "Ready for your debut, sister of mine?"

"Of course." Her blue eyes scanned the surroundings, shining with a strange light, and she said, "How convenient for so many fools to appear. I was just beginning to think that I needed some light exercise after eating those sweets."

"Someone's taking this lightly…" I shook my head, surveying the situation at hand.

They weren't moving. I couldn't make out the exact forces we were facing, at least their affiliation, but it was clear they were hostile towards us. Yet, they were waiting… maybe for us to be off guard? But why would-

"Wait!" Ashe's eyes widened and he turned to look at me. "What about the others? Didn't they leave first?"

I froze.

That… was right.

Mercedes and Jeritza.

Felix and Annette.

Sylvain and Ingrid.

They had all left ahead of us.

Mercedes would be fine considering who she was with, but the others…

I glanced back at the village. "Do you think Sylvain and Ingrid went ahead of us or stayed behind?"

If the latter…

Dimitri shook his head. "Knowing Ingrid, she would have marched Sylvain straight back to the monastery the moment they left."

"That's… not good, but not bad either."

That meant that Felix, Annette, Sylvain, and Ingrid were somewhere on the path up ahead.

We were only a quarter of the way up the mountain. With the usual walking speed, it would take an hour to get to the top.

However, since there was a distinct lack of clashing steel…

"Dammit. Dammit, dammit, dammit."

I glanced around again.

Twenty enemies, most in hiding and definitely more around the corner up the mountain.

Not only that, but they were invisible, cloaked with some sort of mechanism… likely Agarthan tech, similar to the tiny lenses I found being used to spy on me.

Come to think of it… those used a similar effect, didn't they? Bending light to blend in…

No. Irrelevant. I could think about that later. For now…

I turned towards Dimitri and said, "How confident are you in holding your ground?"

"Heh." Dimitri swung his sword and looked around. "I was worried at first… but our enemies are just invisible, correct?" He smiled… though it was different from his usual one. "I've fought half-blinded in the rain and killed more than my fair share of assassins. This is nothing."

I turned towards the others.

"Dedue? Ashe?"

Ashe frowned. "It'll be tough… but I think it should work out. I can kind of see them at least, so it should be doable."

Dedue smirked. "Men of Duscur do not need vision to fight, Professor. There are no worries here."

Sothis? Can you see them?

_Not directly, but I can sense them. The distortion of dark magic is hard to miss now that you have pointed it out._

Hm? Distortion of dark- Ah. That'd be the red haze then.

_Indeed… Though I am curious to how you are perceiving it in such a manner. But that is for later._

"Alright." I nodded to myself. "Alright… then here's the plan."

I kept a careful eye on the enemies, making sure they didn't catch us off guard.

"…You guys make your way up the mountain with Stella. She can sense where the enemies are and she's good with magic, so things should work out. I'll run on ahead to look for the others."

Dimitri smirked. "Five to one odds, huh? I've had worse."

Ashe frowned. "…Kind of wish I had a bow, but I guess beggars can't be choosers…"

Dedue simply nodded in response.

Stella rolled her eyes and shooed me away. "Go on. The more time you waste the greater the chance of failure." She smiled and said, "We will be fine here. Trust in your divinely skilled sister!"

A bit on the nose, Sothis, but…

"Stay safe."

I turned towards the path and gathered wind around my legs again.

Fifteen minutes. That was about the time it took to get from the top of the monastery to the village.

…I really, _really_ hoped that my students weren't the only ones who had skills carried over.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Some Dimitri and Byleth bro time. I figured that, in a more relaxed world and where Edelgard wasn't, you know, plotting a complete social overturn, Dimitri would probably try to set his sister up with someone.

Actually, knowing what he does, Dimitri would probably redouble that effort since having someone at Edelgard's side might actually calm her down.

It's a bit redundant in this case, but the effort's appreciated.

Also, while writing I was enlightened that Edelgard is definitely a strong proponent of love at first sight because of how her parents met. To me, at least, that cleared up a bit of her interactions and growing affection towards Byleth. The princess is just too much of a sappy romantic, and considering how they met, well, the result is obvious, no?

Anyway, we'll probably be heading back to the plot soon. Can't write fluff all the time, as much fun as it is to do so.

Thank you for reading and leaving your input. I always really appreciate it.

I hope the chapter is enjoyable, and I'll see you tomorrow!


	55. Keep Cruel Fate At Bay

Wind blew past me as I charged up the path back to the monastery. I took giant steps, barely touching down to adjust my direction as the path curved. At the same time, I kept a sharp look out for enemies, as well as signs of the wayward Blue Lions.

Like I thought, the path up towards the monastery was littered with invisible foes. Hiding in trees, crouching behind boulders… it was eerie, mostly because it seemed completely at odds with how things should be. The enemies hiding were like ninjas or special forces, blending in carefully with the surroundings.

There weren't as many as down near Stella and the others, only about ten with the number decreasing as I ascended the trail, but that could only mean that the ones higher up were more skilled.

I suddenly had a sense of foreboding. This-

An explosion echoed from behind me.

My eyes widened and I came to a stop, spinning around to look at the bottom of the path.

Because I had rounded the corner, I couldn't see what had happened, but I could guess from the embers lighting the night sky.

Not long after that, lightning flashed… from the ground into the sky rather than how it usually did, from clouds to the ground.

I blinked. "Well… I guess that's one way to get out of this situation."

Stella didn't seem to have any intention of holding back. I'd… probably have a headache later from trying to answer all the questions about that, but at least that solved one problem.

The largest danger of the invisible foes was the fact that nobody knew they were here. But with all that ruckus Stella was causing, it'd be impossible for Seteth and the Knights of Seiros not to realize something was wrong.

I decided to ignore the constant stream of high level magic spells erupting behind me and focus on my task.

I gathered wind around my feet again and started to kick off… and then a pair of red hazes left their cover and charged at me. From the silhouettes, they were swordsmen and-

My instincts flared and I jumped out of the way.

The moment I did, a gust blew past me. In the wake of that, the two swordsman landed, their swords cutting past where I had just been standing.

I narrowed my eyes.

That… had been exactly what I used to charge up the mountain. Increasing my speed in a sudden burst using a gust of wind. But not only were they doing that, it was silent too. If I hadn't been watching them or on the look out, I would have thought it was just the wind.

Just how on Earth did they-

My eyes suddenly widened. I realized how they were doing it.

"Dammit. They're copying me."

The wind enhancing their speed was obvious, but the reason they were so quiet was because they were canceling the sound waves.

It wasn't perfect, otherwise there wouldn't be a wind when they moved, but it was close. Right now, someone with enough combat intuition would be able to sense it, but if it got refined…

Silently, I thanked Sothis that she held me back from using chemical warfare.

If the Agarthans were able to develop cloaking and sound canceling just from that time I used wave interference to stop their surveillance, and if they managed to recreate how I used wind to increase my speed just from that one time I fought against the Flame Emperor…

Note to self. Absolutely do not do any sort of research into guns.

I had a feeling… no, I was certain that everything would be over the moment the Agarthans had any inkling that such a thing was possible. While it might be possible to resist firearms in the beginning with magical wards and enchantments, considering the unrest between those with Crests and those without Crests, as well as the ease of learning how to use a gun…

Considering that they managed to figure out cloaking and sound cancellation just from me using it once, I was sure that the only reason they hadn't created guns were because they hadn't thought of it yet. After all, what need did you have for a gun when Snipers and magic existed?

But considering the level of technology the Agarthans had access to… instead of revolvers or rifles, they'd skip straight into railguns and coil guns.

Another gust of wind. Following that, a red haze flew through the air, their blade cutting towards my neck.

I narrowed my eyes. "Neat, but-"

The moment the blade got close, I wrapped mana around my arms and held it up to block. "It won't work twice!"

Momentum took over for the invisible swordsman and they slowed down.

An opening.

I activated the Crest of Indech. The world seemed to slow, my reflexes sharpened to superhuman levels from the ancient mana.

The other invisible swordsman charged at me from the side. Unlike their peer, that swordsman took a smarter approach and used their explosive speed to thrust instead of slash.

But it was pointless.

I grabbed the first swordsman that had attacked me.

Taking the shortest route without any initial movement. A circle and a line.

It was fake martial arts, something I thought of after seeing Linhardt fight Caspar, but my combat intuition made up for and flaws.

I turned, moving my feet in a quarter circle to my right. At the same time, I pulled with my hands, adjusting the swordsman I had grabbed. Finally, I twisted my waist and snapped my arms forward.

Another faint gust of wind echoed. But that time I was the one that caused it.

The first swordsman that attacked me flew through the air at a literal breakneck speed. If it wasn't for the sound cancellation, I was sure that I'd be hearing a series of sickening cracks and pops.

The second swordsman tried to divert their charge, but they couldn't.

I straightened and said, "Let this be a lesson."

The two swordsmen crashed together with a sickening _crunch_.

"…Don't commit to attacks where you can't change your momentum."

Static crackled and then the red haze around the swordsmen dissipated, revealing a pair of pale-faced men with white eyes. Clear Agarthans.

The first swordsman was dead, but the second let out a pained groan.

I walked over, stopping in front of the tangled bodies, and picked up the swords they were using.

The blades were odd. A dark violet and gleaming with ominous light. Also cracked, probably from the abuse they took after what I did to their wielders.

The living swordsman noticed me standing there and then narrowed his eyes. "You filthy-"

"Thanks for the weapon."

I took another step and stomped on the ground.

There was a loud _crack _and then black blood scattered.

I shook my head and started to gather mana again to continue on my way.

And then the swords I had picked up started to sizzle.

My eyes widened and I threw them on the ground.

The moment I did, the blades dissolved in a pile of black goo, leaving a deep hole where they landed.

Not only that, but the bodies of the Agarthans I killed started dissolving as well.

I frowned and shook my hands, sending away the flecks of black goo that got on me from holding the blades.

"A failsafe, huh?"

Like how assassins and spies usually had poison on them to prevent interrogation, the Agarthans didn't seem to want anyone figuring out what they were.

Not that it helped, considering that I already knew.

Still… they seemed to take it to a new extreme. I wasn't sure exactly how that process worked, but somehow their weapons and bodies were highly toxic. A corrosive poison that was no doubt intended to take out the one that killed the agent or thought to take the Agarthan weapons.

My frown deepened. "That's-"

Danger.

My instincts warned me and I focused.

More swordsmen were advancing towards me. No, not just swordsman. I saw six invisible enemies flying down the path towards me.

They seemed to have learned from their fallen comrades, since their formation was staggered, leaving no room to dodge.

But I didn't need to.

"…You're wasting my time."

I held up my left arm and activated the Crest of Goneril.

Light flashed and then dimmed. A few seconds later, the six started fell to the ground, their momentum cut to zero and replaced by that of gravity.

While the Crest of Goneril was deactivating, I charged.

Since I couldn't steal a weapon from them, I had to improvise.

Using new trump cards or experimenting was a bad idea. I didn't want to give the Agarthans any more ideas.

Then, something I had already used before, just a bit more developed.

Wind wreathed my limbs and I took a deep step with my left foot, twisting my body to the right and low to the ground. The moment I did, a hurricane gathered around me. When I judged it to be enough, I launched off the ground and spun, lashing out with a roundhouse kick.

Another technique taken from the same person as the flaming uppercut I used to knock out Kostas what seemed like forever ago.

My sudden charge created a vacuum, sucking the invisible opponents towards me. At the same time, my leg cut through the air, spinning like a top.

Once, twice, thrice… six times, six hits.

Static crackled as my attack broke through their cloaking, and black blood scattered as the first three I connected with were ripped apart from the impact. The other three lived, sent flying due to the decreased momentum of my kick, but they weren't in any shape to be fighting any time soon.

I touched down on the ground and then kept running up the mountain.

At the same time, I remembered to pass a message to my sister.

Sothis! The corpses are-

_Toxic and corrosive! We are aware, but worry not! I am well-versed in healing magic. Paired with your knowledge of the human body, we will be fine._

I sighed in relief… and then I frowned.

They might be fine, but the others…

"Dammit."

I really wanted to meet the Flame Emperor guy and throttle his throat. Him or Thales, depending on who was responsible for this. The tactics the Agarthans were using were annoyingly practical and effective. If it was anybody else facing them rather than me….

Sothis's voice echoed in my head. _Focus! You have no time to be idling!_

I shook my head.

She was right. Unnecessary thoughts had no place on the battlefield.

I ran forward, continuing on the path.

The stream to my left, woods to my right and the rocky path before me. As I moved, red hazes dotted every direction. While the number thinned the more I went up, there were still far too many for the average student to handle.

I glared at the red hazes I passed, especially when I saw how they ignored me, no doubt waiting for easier prey.

"You guys are damned lucky I don't have good ranged options yet." I muttered that under my breath and then rounded another corner.

When I did, I heard something familiar.

Steel clashed, the sound of swords scraping against each other. Shortly after that, a female voice called out. "Dammit, Sylv! I told you we should have waited for the others!"

The crisp sound of crashing steel echoed again.

"Hey! You're the one who said we should head back to the monastery instead of hanging around the village."

"Because you would have flirted and done who knows what with an innocent village maiden!"

Flames roared and then Sylvain said, "Better than dying here to damned invisible assassins! What on Fodlan is going on anyway? Dimitri didn't say anything about these bastards being able to turn invisible!"

I let out a sigh of relief.

Sylvain and Ingrid were standing in the middle of the path, back to back.

Ingrid was holding a sword, poised to parry. Her emerald eyes were focused, scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger.

Sylvain, on the other hand, was unarmed. But he wasn't helpless. Flames gathered around his right hand, ready to erupt at a moment's notice. Also, his usual carefree demeanor was gone, his light brown eyes narrowed in concentration.

From the look of things, they were fine… and were doing a good job fending off the Agarthans.

Although there were three red hazes circling the two, those invisible Agarthans seemed cautious and didn't move beyond that boundary.

It was a standoff, neither side able to deal a decisive blow.

And then I stepped in.

Sylvain instantly turned, swiping his right hand through the air. Glyphs formed and then flames surged towards me. His eyes widened a split second later, recognizing me, but it was too late for him to take back his spell.

Fortunately for him, and myself, flames couldn't hurt me.

As the heat reached me and the fire brushed against my skin, my left arm activated, drawing in the flames. For a split second, I felt my body warm up, but then it instantly cooled, the Crest of Flames dominating the fiery mana surging into my body.

I touched down on the ground, a few paces away from the pair of wayward Blue Lions.

"Professor Byleth?" Ingrid reacted first. She looked at me and said, "What are you doing-"

The red hazes charged forward. It seemed that they were intent on taking advantage of the distraction I provided.

I dashed towards Ingrid and grabbed her sword. "Borrowing this!"

"What?" Shocked, Ingrid loosened her grasp on her sword, enough for me to disarm her and grab it for myself.

The moment I had it in my hands, I activated the Crest of Cichol.

Crushing pressure fell upon the Agarthans charging towards us and they buckled, collapsing on the ground, forming small craters.

I pivoted and then cut down at the closest red haze. Black blood scattered and then the body fell to the ground. Dark magic flared and then the corpse dissolved into a corrosive mess.

Sylvain's eyes widened. "What the-?"

"Keep away from the corpses and hold your breath! It's toxic!"

I moved towards the other cloaked Agarthans and quickly cut them down, making sure to kick their bodies far away the moment I killed them.

Faint hissing echoed as the corpses dissolved.

I let out a sigh and then flicked the toxic mess away from Ingrid's sword before walking back over to them. For good measure, I conjured a small breeze to blow away any fumes.

Ingrid's nose wrinkled when she saw the mess in the distance. "That's disgusting."

I held out her sword to her and said, "Tell me about it… ah, and be careful not to cut yourself with your blade. I don't know if the poison or whatever stuck."

Ingrid gingerly took the sword back and nodded. "Got it… and thanks, Professor."

Sylvain nodded. "Yeah, thanks for being the hero and all, Professor. But what brings you here? And where are the others?"

I looked around, keeping an eye out for any other hidden enemies.

While my actions had made them even more cautious, sending most of the ones hiding elsewhere, I noticed another group of three waiting nearby.

I frowned and then said, "Bailing you guys out. I promised, didn't I?"

"Not quite what I meant by that, Professor… but I'm grateful." Sylvain moved back to Ingrid's side and kept a careful eye out. At the same time, he switched from using flames to light, the telltale sign of Nosferatu forming at his fingertips. "I should hold you to more promises in the future."

I glanced at Sylvain and said, "Here's one. Stay alive and I promise I won't make your life a living hell for flirting with Stella."

Sylvain laughed. "Well, looks like I've gotta be serious for once then."

Ingrid raised her sword again and said, "If you two are done bantering, can someone please tell me what the plan is?'

I looked around, carefully surveying the area, and then frowned. "You haven't seen Annette or Felix, have you?"

"Hm?" Ingrid frowned. "Didn't they go on ahead?"

"Yeah… but considering that these invisible guys are lining every inch of the mountain trail…"

Sylvain frowned. "Damn. You're not kidding, are you?"

"I wish I was."

Ingrid tilted her head back and said, "Maybe they made it back to the monastery?"

"That…"

Was possible. They only left a few minutes after Mercedes and Jeritza, so if they caught up-

Suddenly, I felt a surge of mana. Wind spells firing from up ahead, about a ten minute run from where we were. Three if I booked it.

"Dammit." I looked around. Those Agarthans were still lurking, but I didn't have the time to waste on them.

At the same time, I couldn't just leave Sylvain and Ingrid here alone. They managed to stay alive so far, but I didn't know how long that would hold up.

The problem was invisibility. If those guys were visible, I was sure that Sylvain and Ingrid could handle it. But the Agarthans were cowardly hiding, so it was dangerous.

"Professor Byleth?" Ingrid stared at me and said, "Did you realize something?'

I shook my head and frowned. "…Do you think you guys can hold out for a few minutes? I think I found Annette and Felix."

Sylvain smiled. "Well the ladies always praise my endurance…"

"Sylv! Time and place!"

"Right, right." Sylvain nodded and said, "On a serious note, we can try but it'll be risky. I'm pretty confident in my aim and Ingrid has _scary_ good intuition, but against invisible enemies…" He paused and then looked at me. "Wait, you can see them, right? Care to share?"

I shook my head. "It's a talent of mine, not a skill." I ran my hand through my hair and said, "If only I had some flour or something to show their tracks…"

Wait. Tracks?

My eyes widened and I glanced at the ground, remembering how I had tripped earlier.

Right now, it was hard. Despite the rain, the part of the path we were on had dried up. Still, even though it was dry, it was still dirt. And when dirt got wet, it turned into soft mud.

Mud that would leave tracks and slow down attackers.

I crouched and placed my left hand against the ground.

"Um… Professor?" Sylvain looked at me. "I get that this is pretty bad, but giving up is…"

"Got a plan. Wait a bit."

I focused.

Mud needed water.

Water… while it wasn't a traditional element in Fodlan's magic system, that didn't mean I couldn't use it. After all, I had something that symbolized it, didn't I?

The Crest of Indech embodied wisdom and water.

I probably couldn't use much, but…

I gathered mana through my left arm and sent it towards the Crest of Indech. As expected, the Crest activated and started to enhance my reflexes, the ancient mana spreading throughout my body. But before it could, I stopped it and focused the mana outwards. At the same time, I filtered it, focusing on the part that reminded me of an immovable lake.

There was a ripple, and then water spewed from my hand.

Sylvain jumped. "What the-"

I stood up. Even though I broke contact, water continued to flood the surroundings, quickly changing the path into a muddy mess.

"There. Like this, even if they're silent and invisible, you can see them."

Ingrid's eyes lit up. "Smart move, Professor!"

Sylvain nodded. "Gotta say, I underestimated you… though you've gotta tell me how you pulled that trick off later."

"Don't die and I'll think about it." Leaving those words behind, I hurried back up the path, racing towards the signs of wind magic I felt earlier.

Was it because they finally took me seriously? Or was there some means of communication between them? Either way, the Agarthans lying in wait let me pass undisturbed.

That was good. I didn't have time to waste on them.

As I rounded the corner yet again, the scenery changed. At that point of the path, the terrain leveled off, a sort of plateau etched into the mountain, similar to the mock battle location.

To the left, there was a deep forest, dark even with the full moon, while to the right there was a sheer rock cliff. As for the path itself, it hugged the cliff, winding back up the mountain.

I came to a stop and frowned. "That's weird. There's no one here."

Despite being so open, there weren't any signs of Agarthans or Felix and Annette. Yet, I could still sense the faint traces of wind magic… and not the type the Agarthans copied off of me. Not only that, but from the cuts digging into the cliff wall, a battle clearly happened here.

While I was confused and wondering what happened, a distant male voice shouted. "Dammit, dammit, dammit!" The faint sound of steel cutting through branches echoed and then the voice roared. "Show yourselves, you cowards!"

"Felix?" The voice was coming from somewhere… to my left?

I turned towards it and focused. The moment I did, crimson lit up the dark forest and my eyes widened.

Was this how it looked in the Vietnam war?

Small squads of Agarthans were moving through the forest, venturing deep within.

I counted twenty nearby, but far in the distance, I saw more.

Did the Flame Emperor plan this far ahead? Were the forces here to begin with? Or did he warp them in?

No, were there even that many Agarthans to send?

I had a lot of questions and about ten times as many concerns. But I had to shelf them for now.

At the current rate, Felix was surrounded… and while I couldn't see him, from the desperation and rage in his voice, it was likely that Annette wasn't in a good condition.

I narrowed my eyes. "Well… if you want to play this way…"

The Agarthans weren't the only ones that could copy.

I closed my eyes and focused.

…Darkness. An omnipresent and eternal void. Ancient knowledge stretching countless millennia into the past. Mathematical formulae and proofs. Hypotheses, theories, and laws that defied the providence of the divine.

I filtered out the extraneous information and focused on the ten spells kept within.

Of those ten spells… there was one perfect for a situation like this.

I opened my eyes and then slammed my left hand against the ground. Mana crackled and then shattered, turning from waves into particles. At the same time, darkness surged as I shouted the name of the spell.

"Quake Sigma!"

Violet light illuminated the forest and the ground trembled. At the same time, I felt a huge drain on my mana, more than my arm could convert.

"Kuh-!"

I swallowed the scream welling up from the pain of pouring everything I had into the spell and focused.

_Byleth?! What are you doing!?_

Busy! Talk later!

_Argh, you reckless, suicidal, foolish-_

I ignored her and instead looked into the forest.

My body shuddered, barely able to constrain the eruption of power from my spell.

It looked there was a reason why it was the highest end dark spell.

Even while the spell was draining everything I had, as well as all the ambient mana in the area, I didn't have complete control over it. It was like trying to stop a stream with just my bare hands. Despite my best attempts, a bit of mana was wasted and more erupted where I didn't want it to.

I grit my teeth and narrowed my eyes.

Time was short. If I kept the spell active, it might break free from my control and run wild, destroying the entire mountain.

Then, before that happened…

Dark plumes spewed from the ground throughout the forest. With each one, the crimson hazes in my field of vision faded.

One second, two seconds… on the third, I forcibly cut off the connection to the spell and wrenched my left hand away.

I felt a wave of nausea and then coughed. When I did, black blood fell to the ground, completely drained of any mana.

I bit my tongue, using the pain to focus, and then ran forward. At the same time, my chest felt like it was on fire and my left arm felt like it was being torn apart.

It seemed like my body was moving on its own to restore my drained mana.

_You can thank me for that! Just what in the world did you do? Even my Sublime Surge does not use that much mana!_

Again, talk later Sothis! Busy!

_Argh, you…! Fine! But expect a scolding when I arrive!_

Quake Sigma was an effective spell, but my control over it wasn't enough. While over three quarters of the Agarthans in the forest had died, that still left a considerable force, about twelve in various pockets of the forest. And considering that they had managed to survive my ambush, it meant they were good, a cut above the rest.

Felix's voice echoed again. "That won't work on me! Show yourself!"

I used it to pinpoint his location and ran towards him.

The Agarthans seemed to have grown cautious after my spell, since they were staying put.

But that was good. The longer they waited, the closer our reinforcements came.

If my sister's loud and flashy magic didn't get the attention of Seteth and the Knights of Seiros, the high end dark magic spell I used definitely would.

After running through the dark forest, I finally broke out into a clearing.

The moment I did, a silver blade cut towards my neck.

My eyes widened. From the worry, dark magic, and general stress, I wasn't expecting to be attacked. Thankfully, my instincts and reflexes were quicker than my mind.

I instantly crouched and my waist spun in a figure eight.

Once, twice. The silver blade cut towards me and missed. On the second slash, I grabbed my attacker's wrist and stopped him.

Felix scowled, madness flickering in his eyes. And then he saw who I was and he calmed down. "…You?"

I let go of his wrist and nodded. "Me."

Felix stepped back and let out a slow breath.

I looked around. "Where's Annie?"

He shook his head. "It's… she's…" He sighed. "Follow me."

Felix moved quickly through the clearing, his sword raised and eyes alert. Still, while focused, other emotions flickered across his face. Worry, hope, regret, guilt.

I had a sinking feeling in my gut.

Felix turned back and scowled. "Hurry, you bastard!"

I picked up my pace.

We passed through the clearing, stopping at the foot of a few evergreen trees bunched together. There, laying on top of a bed of carefully arranged pine needles, was a young girl with orange hair.

Annette coughed and looked over at us. "Felix, you dummy. I told you to get help."

Felix quickly moved to her side. "Don't worry, Annie. I did."

"Liar. I heard you shouting…"

Did she not see me? I frowned and stepped forward.

When I got closer, I realized why she didn't call out to me.

Annette's face was pale and her lips were a light shade of blue. Not only that, but her hands were black and the sleeves of her uniform looked like they had been splattered in acid. Her green eyes, usually so lively and bright, were vacant and dazed as they struggled to focus on me. "Is that… you, Byleth?"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Yeah, so it turns out casually showing off things to your enemies when they have the full backing of advanced technology and dark magic is a bad idea. Also, having even a halfway intelligent opponent is a pain in the butt.

Maybe our MC shouldn't have tempted Fate in thinking about chemical warfare...

Sorry not sorry for the cliffhanger. You'll just have to wait until tomorrow to find out what happens with Annie.

Thanks for reading and your input, as always!

I hope the chapter was enjoyable despite the ending, and I'll see you tomorrow!


	56. And Then It Fades

I nodded. "That's right, Annie. We're… we're going to get you out of this mess."

Annette let out a weak laugh and said, "You don't… sound very confident about that, Byleth."

Felix glared at me. He didn't say anything, but from the way he subtly adjusted his sword, it was clear that he wasn't going to accept failure as an option.

But that was fine. I wasn't either.

I took a slow breath and wracked my mind for a solution.

Alright. Annie was poisoned. Poisoned and not far from death, judging from her pale skin and blue lips. Not only that… but now that I was closer, I could see that a bit of blackened blood was dripping from her back.

I turned to Felix and said, "What happened?"

Felix's glare intensified, but his fury wasn't directed at me. "I… I was an idiot." The moment he said that, all the strength left him. The bravado that Felix put on faded, and deep guilt filled his face. "We were walking back. But I didn't stay with Annie. I… I went ahead by myself and then… Argh!" He spun around and punched a tree.

I shook my head and said, "Calm down."

He took a deep breath and then turned back, nodding. "Annie was backstabbed. She managed to kill her attacker with wind magic, but those _bastards_ were walking poison bombs."

I glanced at Annette. After speaking to me, she went quiet. Her cute face was scrunched up in pain, and she was taking slow, shuddering breaths.

"Annie," I said. "You don't have to hold it in. If it hurts, you can cry or scream."

Annie shook her head. "I'm… fine."

Felix scowled. "Listen to the Professor, you idiot."

"You're… the idiot, Felix. What if… they hear us?"

"That's what the Professor's here for." Felix looked at me. "Right?"

I nodded, but my mind was elsewhere.

Poison. Bleeding out… Damn. I didn't know any healing magic. Of all the things…

"Felix, you wouldn't happen to know how to heal, would you?"

He glared at me.

"Right. Dumb question." I frowned.

Sothis? How far are you guys from-

_Busy! Talk later!_

I blinked.

Just what could be going on that _Sothis_ of all people said she was busy?

No. That wasn't important.

Annie was poisoned and bleeding out. I had to fix that, but how?

Obviously, neither of the two had vulneraries or antitoxins. I didn't have any either since my blood made it so poisons and toxins were a non-issue and because Sothis was by my side for healing magic.

That was definitely coming back to bite me in the butt now.

Divine Pulse? No, even if I wanted to, that needed Sothis to work and she already said she was busy.

Should I try to heal her anyway? I knew the principles of Faith magic, so I could try it.

No. Too risky. That could just worsen matters, especially considering that this was an Agarthan poison we were dealing with, the sort created with Dark magic. An amateur trying to heal it would only make things worse.

Maybe I could try to synthesize a vulnerary or antitoxin? I didn't study how they were made quite yet, but considering how my Alchemy worked… No. That was risky too. It was one thing to make sugar and spices, but medicine… the dosage was important.

For some reason, my Alchemy resulted in purified forms of products, like the sugar I made. If I did that with antitoxins and vulneraries, I could very well make something that was even more toxic, or a compound that caused overhealing, resulting in cancer or something.

And, knowing my luck and Fate being out to get me, I had a feeling the worst possible outcome would occur when I tried it.

Then what the heck should I do?

Let her die? There were still a few hours left in the day. If I ran back to Sothis…

_Don't do things by halves, my son_

A gentle voice echoed in my mind. My mother's.

That was right. Giving up here… if I allowed it, I would keep allowing it. I would slowly start treating deaths as nuisances, start treating people as objects.

It was a road to disaster, a slippery slope that I couldn't walk back from.

Then… what should I do?

"Professor!" Felix yelled at me. "Stop wasting time!"

"Don't... yell at him, Felix."

He froze and then nodded. "Sorry, Annie. Just… argh!" Felix scowled and pulled his hair. "If I knew things were going to be like this, I would have studied magic more!"

Annette smiled. "See? Professor Hanneman… isn't pointless."

Hanneman?

My eyes widened. "That's it!"

Felix froze and then turned towards me. "You have a plan?"

I nodded.

It was more of a gamble, but I couldn't tell them that.

I glanced at our surroundings.

The Agarthans hiding in the forest were drawing near. It seemed that they had enough with waiting… that or they decided that there was no point in being cautious since a second Quake Sigma didn't happen.

That was bad. If I wanted to cure Annie, I needed time. Time that I wouldn't have if I showed an opening, something inevitable in the process of curing Annie.

Felix walked up to me and grabbed my shirt. "Professor! Out with it!"

I stared at him and then said, "Alright. I can make a concoction and an antidote, but I need things right now."

Felix let me go and nodded. "Tell me."

"Sticks, brush, and wood. Anything that can burn. I need a lot, and fast."

Felix immediately drew his sword and started cutting branches down.

I kept an eye on the Agarthans.

It seemed like Felix's actions scared them, since they stopped their advance.

Good.

I leaned down next to Annie and took off my coat. It was an unnecessary action in the process, but essential in fooling everyone watching.

The act drew Annie's attention and she turned towards me. She let out a weak laugh and said, "Sorry, Byleth. Looks like I messed up."

I shook my head. "Don't talk. Focus on breathing and staying awake."

Annie nodded. "I'll… I'll try. But… in case I die…"

"Don't say that." I dug around my coat and then used my alchemy to make a small glass vial. I pulled that out and then said, "I still need to drag Gilbert in front of you and make him apologize."

Annie's eyes widened a fraction and she smiled. "You found out, huh? I always knew… you were awesome…"

"Again, quiet. Calm down and try to steady your heartbeat. Deep, slow breaths."

I didn't know if that was what you were supposed to do if you were poisoned, but I said it anyway to calm Annie down.

Hopefully it did something. Poison spread through the bloodstream, after all, and the heartrate determined how fast blood was pumped, so…

A giant pile of leaves and branches fell beside me. Felix looked to me and said, "There! What else?"

I nodded and then grabbed the pile, moving over to the side, far enough from Annie that she wouldn't get caught up in what I was doing next.

After a few paces, I focused and incinerated everything, gathering a pile of ash. When that was done, I sent it scattering with a gust of wind.

Despite being further away, Annie started coughing from the ash.

Felix glared and drew his sword. "What are you do…ing?" His eyes widened when he saw the reason why I did it.

Because Felix had gathered a lot of flammables, I had a much bigger pile of ash to work with. As a result, everywhere around us became cloaked in white ash… including the Agarthans trying to sneak up on us.

I moved back to Annie. "Guard us. I need at least a minute."

Felix grinned. "This will be over before then." Saying that, he ran towards the Agarthans.

"Don't forget that their corpses are toxic!"

Felix grunted in response and then the sound of clashing steel echoed.

I knelt down and picked up the vial I made earlier and then made a show of rummaging in my coat. In actuality, I alchemied up a bit of sugar and water and poured it into the vial, stirring it together. At the same time, I secretly added a few drops of my blood.

Annie coughed.

I moved over to her and held up the vial. "I've got it, Annie. This should fix you up."

Annie smiled. "Thanks, Byleth. But… just in case-"

I shook my head. "It'll work."

Annie stared at me and then nodded, tears streaming down from her face. Whether in relief or pain, I didn't know.

Either way, I moved the vial to her mouth and poured in the mixture.

Annie swallowed, soft gulps.

When she finished drinking, I pulled the vial back and watched her.

It should work. My blood, with all we found out about it, should work as a panacea. In theory, Annie should heal with this-

Annie screamed, a sound of pure pain and agony. Her blackened hands that should have been unable to move spasmed and grabbed her chest. "It hurts! IT HURTS!" She sobbed, frantically clawing at her heart.

Felix cut down an Agarthan. He parried another attacking him and then roared. "What are you doing?!"

I shook my head. "No. No, no, no. This shouldn't be… this should work. Why-"

"Byleth…! It… it hurts! Make it… make it stop! PLEASE!" Annie screamed and wailed.

"BYLETH!" Felix roared back and said, "If Annie dies, I swear to the Goddess herself. I'll kill you… I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU!"

My stomach dropped, but I kept a cool head. I forced myself to.

Think.

Why wasn't Annie healing? No, why was she feeling pain? Was it too much? Too little? No, the fact that she could move her hands showed that it was doing _something_. But why-

I froze.

Rejuvenation. Healing. Blood…

Plasma.

"I'm an idiot!"

I threw away the bottle and synthesized a syringe.

The problem wasn't that it wasn't working. The problem was that it wasn't working fast enough.

Annie was healing, but only just enough to where the poison was taking effect again. An equilibrium where healing and damage happened at once… no, one where the damage was outpacing the healing because my blood was quickly being drained dry in the fight.

The route was the problem. Ingesting it was too slow. Wasn't that obvious from all the trips to the hospital? Medicine worked best when directly put in the bloodstream.

Then…

I pierced the syringe into the vein of my left arm and drew blood. I didn't care how much I lost. I didn't have the time to care.

Annie started flailing, convulsing in pain.

I pulled out the syringe, now filled to the brim with my blood.

"BYLETH!"

Felix roared and turned back. Fortunately, he was diverted by a trio of swordsman charging at him.

That was good. If he saw what I needed to do, he'd probably cut me down where I stood.

I stared at Annie.

She was moving too much for me to inject her arms or legs. In that case…

"God, Hanneman. I hope we're right about this."

I pinned Annie down and then plunged the needle of the syringe into her chest, piercing her heart.

A bloodcurdling scream cut through the night air.

I forcibly ignored it and pressed down on the plunger, emptying the syringe. The moment I was done, I pulled it out and tossed it to the side.

Annie's screams intensified.

My eyes widened.

That… was I wrong?

A roar echoed from beside me, and then silver flashed.

I quickly jumped to the side, dodging the attack by a hair's width.

"YOU BASTARD!" Felix screamed and swung his sword at me again. "I TRUSTED YOU!"

I didn't say anything back. I couldn't.

Instead, I ignored him and kept an eye on the Agarthans… or that was what I intended. Yet, the squad that had managed to survive Quake Sigma, the elites that I was sure would be difficult to handle… they had been cut to shreds and turned into piles of goo by Felix's sword.

Felix stomped on the ground, holding his blade parallel to the sky. "You." The rage was gone… now, suppressed. Instead of furious anger, it was compressed into cold wrath. "I'll kill you."

"Damn."

I messed up.

If I had learned Heal and Restore before this… no. There was no point regretting it. No time to think about it.

There was an opponent standing right in front of me, one ready to throw his life on the line to end mine.

That…

Sothis. You might want to get a Divine Pulse ready.

_What? Byleth, what are you-_

Whatever my sister said next was cut off by a sword swung at blinding speed.

The Crest of Fraldarius blazed to life, resonating with Felix's emotions.

I didn't dare to try and block it with my bare limbs, even wrapped in mana. At the same time, I didn't dare to retreat, since a moment's hesitation would mean my death. That was what my instincts told me.

Then… I just had to be faster. No, I just had to stop him in place.

I activated the Crest of Cichol.

It shattered.

My eyes widened and I quickly activated the Crest of Goneril.

That shattered too.

My eyes narrowed and I activated the Crest of Aubin. At the same time, I activated the Crest of Indech and got ready to charge and blast Felix away-

"Wait!"

Annie's voice cut through the clearing. Loud and healthy compared to soft and weak like it had been moments before.

The sword aiming towards my neck at blinding speed stopped with blinding speed.

Whether that was because of the Crest of Aubin or Felix's own will, I didn't know. However, the tense encounter was over.

I glanced over towards Annie.

She was standing, steady on her feet. Color had returned to her skin and her lips were their normal soft pink hue. Her hands had also healed, the black corrosion wiped away as if it never existed.

While her shirt was a gruesome bloody mess, the young woman herself was perfectly fine.

I deactivated the Crest of Aubin.

Felix threw away his sword and ran towards Annie, wrapping her in a tight hug.

Annie was surprised and tensed for a moment, but she quickly relaxed and patted Felix's back. "You idiot. I'm fine."

I picked up Felix's sword and walked over to the pair.

Felix heard me approach and let go of Annie, taking a few steps back. He looked at me and then immediately looked away.

Still, in that brief eye contact, I could see the glistening tears in the corner of his eyes.

I shook my head and then looked at the other wayward Blue Lion. "Annie… are you ok?"

"Yep!" She smiled, back to her usual bubbly self. "It… hurt. A lot. But I'm fine now- Urgh." She clutched her chest.

Felix dashed at Annie and lent his shoulder for support. "Are you ok, Annie?!"

She nodded and gently pushed Felix back. "I'm fine. It's just… I feel a bit weird, but I think… I think I'm fine? Just… urgh." Annie paled and hunched over.

"Annie!" Felix reached out to her.

My eyes widened and I quickly took a few steps back. "Um, Felix. You might want to-"

Annie vomited, sending a stream of black puke onto the ground in front of her.

Since Felix was so close, bits of it splashed against his pants.

"…Step back."

Annie wrinkled her nose and wiped her mouth. "…Sorry, Felix."

The dour swordsman took a deep breath and then shook his head. "It's fine. As long as you're okay."

Annie nodded. "I think so. My body doesn't hurt anymore… and I think I feel better than before actually." She looked at me and said, "What did you give me to drink, Byleth? An elixir?"

It seemed like Annie either forgot or didn't register that I stabbed her with a syringe.

That was good. It'd lead to a lot of awkward questions later that I didn't want to deal with yet.

"Trade secret."

"Well," Annie said. "Secret or not, I owe you my life."

I waved my arm. "It's fine. Just being a good Professor and all. It'd look really bad on my resume if it showed that I let a student die on my watch, you know?"

Annie laughed. And then she gasped and pointed at me. "You're bleeding!"

"Hm?" I looked where she was pointing and saw that my left arm was basically dyed red. "Ah, guess I am. Doesn't hurt though…"

"That's bad!" Annie ran over and grabbed my arm. "Here, let me heal you." White light gathered in her hands and then spread across my arm.

Barely a second later, Annie let go and my arm was completely healed. Even the blood that had been spilled was gone, wiped away by the pure light.

"Huh." I flexed my left arm and turned it. "Good as new." Even the damage from using Quake Sigma was gone.

"Is it?" Annie sighed. "That's a relief. I was worried that I might not be able to heal you after just recovering."

"You're pretty good at this, Annie."

She smiled. "Well, you never know what might save your life in the future, right?

To the side, I saw Felix wince.

It seemed like the guy seriously regretted not studying Faith magic.

…Hm. Come to think of it… wasn't Felix one of the only Blue Lions who learned Restore?

I guess that guilt wasn't unfounded-

An arrow flew through the air at Annie's head.

My eyes widened and I pushed her to the side.

Annie gasped in shock.

Felix's eyes widened and he ran forward to catch her.

I turned towards the arrow and activated the Crest of Goneril… or tried to.

It didn't work… and I quickly realized why.

Between using Quake Sigma, drawing my blood to heal Annie, and then activating all of my Crests in quick succession, I was completely drained of mana.

I still had some, maybe enough for like a fire spell, but definitely not enough to activate any more Crests.

I quickly amended my plan and twisted my body, planning to dodge the arrow instead of deflect it.

Thankfully, from what I could see, the arrow would only graze me-

_STATIC._

Foreign mana shot throughout my body and my legs buckled. I dropped Felix's sword to the side and collapsed in a heap on the ground.

"Byleth!" Annie screamed and then threw her arm out in the direction the arrow came from. "You… You bad men!" Light flared from her hands and white arrows shot out into the woods.

I wanted to tell her I was fine, but I couldn't move.

It was like my entire body fell asleep at once. That numb and prickly feeling you got when the blood was cut off to your limb for a while… except all over.

It was unexpected, but not dangerous. Unlike everything else the Agarthans had been pulling all night, I recognized what I had been struck by.

"Freaking… Encloser…!"

I tried to move, but it was like I had sleep paralysis.

In short, annoying as all hell.

Felix ran over to me and picked up his sword, carefully standing guard at my side. While he did that, he turned towards Annie and said, "Were you always able to do that?"

Annie lowered her hand. "I… don't think so? I didn't even need to chant! It just… came to me?"

I blinked, slowly regaining control over my body. "That's nice and all… but could someone help me up? Can't really move my body right now."

"Oh!" Annie walked over and said, "Help me lift Byleth up, Felix!"

He nodded and started to lean over. But then there was a rustling in the distance and he stopped, raising his sword instead.

"Professor! I heard Annie screaming, what's- Huh?" Sylvain walked towards us and frowned. "You're fine?" Then he noticed me lying on the ground. "Wait, what happened to the Professor?"

Annie shook her head. "Byleth, he… he…!"

Ingrid walked over and stared at me. When she saw me, she gasped and covered her mouth. "Professor Byleth! Is he… Did he…!"

"I'm fine! Just… got hit by an Encloser shot. Cheeky bastards nicked me."

Sylvain laughed and then pulled me up. "An Encloser? You?"

"It was while trying to save Annie, al-" My legs gave out again and my world started tilting. "Aaand I'm falling again."

_Thump._

I landed on the ground face first, getting a mouthful of leaves and dirt. I spat it out and scowled. "Couldn't one of you have caught me? Talk about ungrateful."

"Sorry Byleth!" Annie grabbed my arm and helped me back up. At the same time, she lent me a shoulder for support, unlike Sylvain. "I think we all thought you had recovered."

"…It'll probably take a while."

I could talk now, but I could still feel that foreign staticy mana race through my veins. With my current lack of mana, it was managing to affect me more than usual.

That was to say, actually doing something at all.

I sighed.

"Now that's not very gentlemanly of you, Professor." Sylvain smiled and walked over.

"Yeah, well, you try wiping out an elite squad of invisible enemies with a siege spell and then heal a person minutes from death."

"Up you go."

"Wait, what the heck are you doing?"

Sylvain picked me up and slung me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. When he did, he paused. "Huh. Maybe Mercie has a point. You seem like you've been skipping a lot of meals, Professor."

"Yeah, well maybe you're just fat."

"Please." Sylvain flexed and said, "I'm all muscle."

Felix scoffed. "Is that why you never think before you talk?"

Ingrid shook her head. "No. It's because he lets his lower head do all the thinking for him."

"Aw, come on guys!" Sylvain shook his head. "I'm not that bad!"

I sighed. "Could you guys stop messing around? There's bound to be invisible enemies still around. We should hurry and regroup with Dimitri and the others."

Annie nodded. "Byleth has a point. We shouldn't be standing around like this."

Felix raised his sword. "Agreed. Enough talk."

Ingrid looked at me and said, "What's the plan, Professor?"

"Well, Dimitri and the others should be making their way up the trail, especially after hearing Annie. And with everything going on, I'm sure the Knights of Seiros are on the way. So… for now just head back to the path?"

"Got it." Sylvain nodded and then started jogging out of the forest.

Felix moved to his side, with Annie and Ingrid in the back.

For good measure, and since I couldn't do anything else, I decided to cast Ward. It was weak, and probably couldn't last more than a few hits, but it was better than nothing.

Covered in white light, we we charged out of the forest, quickly returning to the mountain path.

Immediately, a barrage of arrows shot out towards us.

My eyes widened and I started to reinforce the ward with what little I had left…

And then wind, ice, lightning, and fire flew out to meet the arrows. The group of archers that attacked us couldn't react in time and were instantly obliterated under the return elemental barrage.

I looked around and saw all four of the Blue Lions lowering their hands.

Felix with lightning, Sylvain with fire, Ingrid with ice, and Annie with wind.

"Huh. Didn't think all of you guys could use magic."

Sylvain laughed. "Gotta keep some tricks up our sleeves, Professor. I mean, you've got some too, right?" He looked at the ward spell glyphs and said, "I didn't know a ward spell could be this complete."

Annie nodded. "That's right! Do you think you could teach me, Byleth? I'm not very good with Ward, but I always wanted to learn!"

I shook my head and said, "I think your Professor would be a better teacher at that than me. I learned how to do this from him, after all."

Well, copied, but there was that saying about it being the best form of flattery, right?

"Really?" Annie frowned. "Guess I should hurry up and schedule my private lessons with him then…"

"Ew." Sylvain shook his head. "Private lessons with Hanneman?"

Felix drew his sword. "Should I cut your tongue off?"

"Chill, Felix!" Sylvain frowned. "Geez, what's gotten you so high-strung recently?"

"…Hmph." Felix sheathed his sword. "You wouldn't understand."

"Come on, pal. We've known each other for ages. The least you can do is-"

Footsteps echoed from behind us… well, in front of me since I was facing the back.

Not just a few either. It was a sound almost like a war drum, organized and rhythmic. The sound of a large group marching.

The Blue Lions instantly went on guard.

Sylvain turned around and said, "What should we do, Professor? Think your ward will hold up?"

"Well, if you didn't turn me around, maybe I could-"

"KID! You up there?!"

A familiar gruff voice echoed from below us, down the path.

I recognized it and called out. "Dad?"

Sylvain set me down on the ground, lending me his shoulder for support.

Like that, I could see the group marching up to meet us.

Dimitri, Ashe, Dedue, and Stella… the four of them were in the middle of a group of mercenaries, all armed to the teeth.

Leading that merry band was my father, Jeralt. He looked tired, a bit worse for wear. His pauldron was cracked and dented, his tunic was riddled with holes, and his silver lance was split in half, but he was alive.

Next to him were two people.

On my dad's right, there was an unreliable looking man with red hair and a broadsword strapped to his back.

On my dad's left, there was a bubbly middle-aged woman with a silver bow on her back, hidden beneath long brown hair.

Clark and Diane.

My dad stared at me, and then when he saw me being supported by Sylvain, he laughed. "What happened, Kid? You look dead on your feet."

"…It's a long story."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

…No, this entire scene wasn't just to make an 'Annie are you ok?' reference. I swear it wasn't. It just happened to line up that way, alright?

Today I happened to be reminded that finals are coming up/are happening right now. For those of you taking those, good luck! Also, you should be studying instead of reading this. Go ahead and take some time off. When you get back, you'll just have more to read.

I'm about as drained as Byleth right now, so I'll just leave the notes at this.

Hope it was a fun read, and thanks as always for reading and leaving input if you do.

P.S. I noticed there's a lot of new people around. If you managed to get this far, would you mind telling me how you found this story? Just curious.


	57. Reach For My Hand

My dad walked forward, carefully surveying me with the worried eyes of a father. His gaze focused on my blood splattered clothes and he frowned. "It seems like it… but why do you need to be supported, Kid? Did you break your leg or something? You know that people don't mean to actually do that when they say it, right?"

I rolled my eyes. "I just got hit with an Encloser arrow. Should be fine in like… ten minutes or so when my mana recovers. Right now though, my arms and legs feel like they fell asleep."

Annie called out. "Sorry, Byleth! If I was paying attention-"

"It's fine. It was mostly my fault forgetting that I was out of mana anyway."

Jeralt walked up to Sylvain and said, "Thanks for keeping an eye on my son, Kid. I'll take it from here though." After saying that, he held out in arm towards me.

Sylvain nodded. "Be my guest, Sir."

Ingrid rolled her eyes. "_Now_ you're being polite? Don't tell me you still plan on flirting with the Professor's sister."

My dad lifted me up, moving my arm around his shoulder to help me stand. But after he did that, he narrowed his eyes and stared at Sylvain. "What's this about flirting with my daughter?"

Sylvain froze and then laughed, quickly taking a few steps back. "N-Nothing, Sir. Just a joke from my friend Ingrid here, hahaha."

"A joke? You- mmph!"

Was it because he was panicking? Sylvain quickly grabbed Ingrid and forcibly silenced her with a quick kiss.

Ingrid's eyes widened and then she turned red. Whether from embarrassment or anger wasn't clear… and Sylvain didn't wait around to find out.

He ran past my father and made his way next to Dimitri. "Heya, Dimitri! How was the trip back up?"

Ingrid followed after him, deathly quiet.

If Sylvain hoped to find protection in the crowd of mercenaries, he overestimated their willingness to protect him.

The moment that Ingrid reached them, the mercenaries parted way, opening a direct path towards Sylvain.

Dimitri sighed. "Sylv. Honestly?"

Sylvain ducked behind Dimitri and said, "Please help."

Felix scoffed. "Idiot." He shook his head and looked back at Annie. "Should we help him?"

Annie put her finger on her chin and said, "I don't know… Sylvain kind of deserves what's coming to him… But we should head over anyway, so let's go, Felix."

Jeralt shook his head at seeing the Blue Lions interact and then looked at me. "I don't know how you deal with those brats."

"Coffee, wishful thinking, and coffee."

My dad raised an eyebrow. "No alcohol?"

I sighed. "If only I could get drunk…"

Jeralt blinked and he laughed. "That's right! I forgot about that." He grinned and patted my back. "Tough luck, Kid."

I raised an eyebrow. "You're in a good mood. The mission go well?"

Instantly, my father's expression changed. The comfortable warmth in his face faded, turning back to his stony mask.

"…I take it that it didn't go well."

Jeralt sighed and then handed me an elixir. "Here. Drink this first. Won't do much about your mana, but it should get you back walking."

"…I can barely stand right now, Dad. How am I supposed to drink that."

"Ah, right." He scratched the back of his head and then held it up for me. "Well… drink up?"

I sighed and opened my mouth.

My dad tilted the elixir up, letting me drink it. While he did, a complicated expression was on his face.

When I finished drinking the elixir, I got some feeling back in my limbs. I stepped away from my dad and shook them to get the numbness out. After that, I stared at my dad.

He still had on that strange expression.

"What is it, Dad?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. Just felt a bit nostalgic. It's been… what, fifteen years since you were sick enough for me to feed you?"

I frowned, feeling a twinge of guilt. "…Sorry about that."

"Hm? About what?"

"I know I wasn't the best kid growing up so-"

My dad cut me off and ruffled my hair. "Hey now, don't go putting yourself down. You were a great kid. After all, you didn't keep me up crying like most other babies."

That was true… but I could still remember his worried looks growing up wondering if there was anything wrong with me. Always checking if I was fine and only getting less stress once I could talk and actually tell him if anything was wrong instead of him guessing…

At that time, someone walked over and slung their arm around my dad's left shoulder. Clark grinned and said, "Well, if you're feeling nostalgic about taking care of the kid, you're in luck, Jerry. Now with your daughter, you get to experience the wonders of teenagers and hormones!"

My dad groaned and placed his hand on his face. "Don't remind me, Clark."

The unreliable looking swordsman grinned and said, "I always thought you lucked out with the kid not being a hassle in his teenage years… but it looks like the Goddess has a sense of fairness after all! Now _you're_ going to be the one complaining about a rebellious daughter."

My dad scoffed. "Please. You're the one who knocked Diane up and let her raise the kid herself. Of course she'd be rebellious."

Clark jabbed my dad's arm and said, "Yeah well, looks like I wasn't the only one who smelt the flowers and ran now, was I?"

"Right…" My dad frowned and turned to look at me. "When were you planning to tell me that I had a daughter hiding away in a village, Kid? Did it slip your mind, or did you just want to see me sweat a bit?"

I shrugged. "A bit of A, a bit of B?"

My dad shook his head. "You're lucky Rhea isn't around. If she was-"

"Billy!" A bubbly female voice called out.

Like in combat, my body moved on its own and I immediately stepped to the side.

Not a moment later, a blur passed through the air and landed on the ground.

"Ow."

"…Diane."

The bubbly woman brushed herself off and pointed at me. "It's Auntie Diane! How many times do I have to tell you?"

Clark laughed. "I don't think you're getting out of this one, Kid."

I shook my head.

Clark and Diane. They were among the oldest members of my father's mercenary troop. The founding members too, if what he told me was true.

As for who they were exactly… well, to them I was like a weird nephew they adopted and helped raise when my dad wasn't around.

In terms of overall impact on the future and who they might have been in the game… they were just members of Jeralt's Mercenary Troop, one of the few in the battallion that stuck by Byleth after Jeralt asked them to look after his kid.

Diane walked over to me and grabbed my shoulders, carefully looking at my face. Then she frowned and said, "You're so thin! Have you been eating well?"

"I'm-"

Diane shook her head. "Of course not. Knowing you, I bet you probably skipped a lot of meals… too focused on the job like usual." She sighed. "Your future wife is going to get gray hair early taking care of you…"

"Like I said, I'm fine-"

"Here." Diane dug in her satchel and pulled out a pastry wrapped in wax paper. "It's not much, but it should fill you up a bit, Billy."

I frowned.

"…Am I going to have to feed you myself?"

I sighed and took it from Diane. After that, I unwrapped it and took a bite.

Only when she saw that did Diane let me go.

My dad laughed and then said, "Enough babying the kid, Diane. We're still on a mission."

"Right! Sorry, Jerry." Diane shook her head and said, "You wanted me to take care of the rear with my squad, right?"

"That's right. And Clark…"

Clark nodded and said, "Scout ahead with my squad. I remember, Jerry."

"Then let's get to it." My dad held up his left hand and said, "We move!"

"Wait." I frowned and said, "Are you guys going to be alright? The enemy's invisible. Won't it be dangerous to split up?"

Diane laughed. "Invisible? Yeah right. They might have some fancy magic spells, but those guys have got nothing on the Dagdan special forces."

Clark shuddered. "Don't remind me. I didn't know trees could move…"

My dad rolled his eyes and swatted the two. "Get on it, you stooges."

Diane saluted my dad and said, "Yes, Boss!" She quickly ran to the back, drawing her bow. A few other mercenaries ran after her.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm on it, Captain." Clark grumbled and then headed off up the path, taking a squad of mercenaries with him.

My dad shook his head. "Those two… sometimes I wonder how they managed to stay alive this long."

"Me too."

"Anyway," my dad said. "Should we get going? I think those students are probably tired out by now… and it looks like the blonde one is about ready to tear the red one a new hole."

"Hm?" I turned around to see Sylvain hiding behind Dedue while Ingrid was being forcibly restrained by Felix.

"…Probably a good idea."

At that time, Stella squeezed her way through the crowd of mercenaries and walked up to me, grabbing my right arm. "You! Look what reckless mess you have caused this time!"

My dad raised an eyebrow and said, "Hello to you too, mystery daughter of mine."

Stella flinched and then nodded. "Y-Yes. Hello to you as well, Father."

Oh come on. I thought you were a better actor than that?

_And who are you to critique my acting skills?!_

Jeralt nodded at Stella and said, "Better. Keep practicing until Rhea gets back. When she does… well, that'll be a fun day…" He sighed and said, "Keeping our family relations are complicated enough. Now with 'Stella' here…" He looked at me and said, "Next week, Kid, you and I are going to drink. We're going to drink until I'm black out drunk, and then you're going to drag me back to my room in return for handling this mess you've dropped on me."

"…I thought dads are there to help when something's too big for their kid to handle alone?"

He nodded. "We are. And kids are there to treat their parents after causing them stress… or so Clark tells me."

"…Isn't that just because Clark's a broke bum?"

"You said it, not me. But anyway…" He looked at Stella and said, "You can have some sibling bonding time later. Now we need to head back to the monastery before anything _else_ happens."

I nodded and started walking.

Stella walked beside me, holding onto my right arm like a good little sister worried about her older brother.

My dad walked on my left, an amused smile on his face.

And then behind me, amidst the idle chatter of the mercenaries, I heard the Blue Lions bantering.

Dimitri chastising Sylvain on his life decisions.

Felix telling them both off for being idiots.

Annie laughing with Ashe.

Ingrid making explicit threats about what she would do to Sylvain's 'Lance of Ruin'.

It was a nice change of pace. After the high stress and frantic mess that was the invisible Agarthans and trying to heal Annie, I appreciated being able to delegate things to other people and just relax.

And then there was a giant surge of dark magic up ahead on the path. Blinding violet light blossomed, and complex glyphs formed on the ground.

My dad held up his left hand, signalling the troop to stop.

Silence filled the path, broken only by the sound of drawn blades.

Beside me, Stella let go of my arm and stepped forward, holding her dagger in her right hand with a reverse grip. In her left, a fireball blazed to life.

My dad grabbed his silver lance and readied it before tilting his head to the side. "You stay out of this one, Kid. Wouldn't want you to get nicked by another arrow."

"Ha. Ha."

The air grew tense, all of us waiting to see what sort of enemy awaited us on the other side of that dark magic.

And then the violet light faded. The moment it did, a brash male voice called out. "Let me at'em! The Black Eagles will show those guys who's the boss around here!"

Hubert sighed. "Caspar. Do you remember our conversation about your shouting?" At that time, the gloomy dark magic user noticed the battallion of armed mercenaries and said, "…I recant my statement. For once, your foolish screaming paid off."

My dad shook his head and put his lance back. "That was a risky move you students pulled. Another few seconds and my kid here might have been regretting his teaching methods."

"Hey." I frowned. "I taught them well. They'd probably hold their own long enough for everyone to figure things out."

"…You're supposed to teach them to avoid something like that, Kid."

I shook my head and walked up to my students, giving them a small wave. "Hey guys. Sorry to-"

"Byleth!" Edelgard… Delly ran towards me and pulled me into a tight hug. She buried her head into my chest and said, "You… You fool! Do you have any idea how worried I was when you didn't come back? I thought… I thought for sure that you…!"

I winced.

That… yeah. With everything going on and the fact that I was out all day, it probably would have looked bad.

I rubbed circles around her back and said, "Come on, Delly. You worry too much. You know I wouldn't leave you without saying goodbye at least."

She nodded and then gave me another squeeze before stepping back.

At that time, my dad stepped forward and whistled. "Wow. You work fast, Kid. Took me a month flirting with your mom before she started meeting me halfway back from my missions."

Delly flushed.

I sighed. "There's a time and place for everything, Dad."

He nodded. "That's right. Like telling me ahead of time that I had a daughter the spitting image of your mother."

Someone walked up from behind us and cleared his throat. "Ahem." Dimitri stood off to the side and said, "Perhaps we should continue this at the monastery? It is dangerous to stand around in the open like this, is it not?"

When Delly saw Dimitri, her eyes narrowed. "You."

Dimitri flinched and took a step back. "Y-Yes, El?"

Delly glared at him for a while and then said, "We are going to have a long conversation later about your actions today. Professor Jeritza and Mercedes went into great detail about what you put the Blue Lions up to."

Dimitri winced. "Yes, well… That…" He sighed. "Understood, El."

Sylvain laughed from somewhere in the back and said, "Looks like the princess has the prince trained well!"

Dimitri turned back and said, "And you should look in a mirror before you speak, Sylvain!"

"Hm? What are you- Ow, ow, ow! Stop pulling my ear, Ingrid!"

She sighed and said, "Stop butting into other people's conversations, Sylv."

"Geez, I've got it already, Ingrid! Relax!"

My dad let out a sigh. "Teenagers." He shook his head and then looked up. Seeing the rest of the Black Eagles walking over, he turned to me and said, "Why don't you head on ahead with your sister and the rest of your students?" He smiled and said, "Wouldn't want them to get jealous because their professor's spending a lot of time with the other houses now, would you?"

Delly nodded and said, "Your father is right, my teacher." She held out her right hand to me and said, "Shall we go?"

I grabbed her hand and smiled. "Let's."

Stella sighed. "If you two are done flirting, can we please hurry up? I need a long bath after today."

…Did you have to ruin the moment?

_If you wanted one, you should have taken her out on a proper date!_

* * *

Hubert and Linhardt teamed up to warp us back to the top of the path, a little bit away from the southern gate.

The moment that we were out of the prying eyes of the Blue Lions and my father, along with his mercenary troop, my students converged on me.

"Professor!" Dorothea reached me first and pulled me into a hug. "Oh, I'm so glad you're safe!"

Before I could react, another pair of arms wrapped around me.

"Me too!" Bernie looked up at me and said, "I was so worried! First you didn't show up, and then Edelgard didn't know where you were, and then there were lights and explosions and the earthquake and…" She paused and looked at me. "Wait. You aren't a ghost, are you?"

I sighed. "No Bernie, I'm not. Though if I ever do die, you can be sure I'll come back as one to make sure you guys are safe."

Delly glared at me and said, "Don't joke about things like that."

"…Sorry, Delly."

Dorothea and Bernie let me go and took a few steps back.

Delly sighed and shook her head. "No. It's… I suppose I should apologize too. It's just… I believe I can speak for us all when I say that we were worried after you didn't return to the monastery when the sun set."

Hubert walked over and nodded, adjusting his glove. The gloomy man was a bit paler than usual, probably from recovering from his injuries and casting an extensive warp spell. But he had enough energy to give me a cold glare and said, "Lady Edelgard speaks the truth… and she was also the most concerned of us all." He sighed and said, "Perhaps I overestimated you, Professor?"

I frowned. "How so?"

Hubert shook his head and said, "I should have known better than to think that a mercenary would have any measure of a maiden's heart."

Ferdinand walked over and nodded. "For once, I agree with Hubert." He looked at me and frowned. "Professor. You cannot just leave all day and return at night, even to spend time with family! At the least, you should have left a message for Edelgard. Do you know how long she wandered around the monastery, hovering at the gate and waiting for you to-"

"Ferdinand!" Delly cut him off and shook her head. "Enough. What matters is that the professor is safe."

Petra drew near and frowned. "Is it? I am thinking that what matters is the professor not trusting us to be respecting his privacy."

Caspar walked over and placed his hands behind his head. "Hey! Don't be too harsh on Prof. I mean, it's not like he could have known things would end up like this, right?"

Stella shook her head. "Do not let my brother off so easily. He deserves being scolded for his thoughtlessness."

I frowned and crossed my arms. "Hey, you're the one who insisted we visit the village."

"Because I thought you had the foresight to leave a letter for your students! At the least, for Edelgard!" She sighed. "Honestly…"

…Alright. Maybe she had a point there.

Note to self: leave a notice on the chalkboard in the classroom whenever something comes up in the future or before doing things.

Stella walked over to Delly and patted her shoulder. "Worry not. My brother can be a thoughtless fool, but he _does_ care for you. Truth be told, that was the whole reason we went to the village. He wanted to get you a gift."

"A gift?" Delly's eyes lit up and she looked at me.

What do you mean a gift, Sothis?! I don't have anything!

_Make something! You have that impossible Alchemy of yours, so conjure something! It is the least you can do for worrying my dear Sister-in-law so much!_

Everyone's eyes were on me.

Dorothea looked expectant, curious to see what I had.

Bernie tried to hide her interest, but couldn't help staring at me.

Ferdinand placed his right hand on his chin, probably wondering why I went to buy a gift.

Petra… looked confused. It seemed like she was still parsing my dear sister's words.

Caspar grinned like the dope he was, giving me a thumbs up.

Hubert stared at me with a grim look, the sort that implied my fate would ride on what I pulled out.

And Linhardt… was fast asleep on the ground. Though, considering the time and the fact that he helped Hubert warp us here, that was understandable.

_Stop stalling!_

Right. The gift.

I slowly reached into my shirt, the inner pockets of the uniform I was wearing. At the same time, I started speaking, relying on the silver tongue Sothis said I had. "I was saving this for later, but…"

A gift. Right… I had some diamonds left. Colored ones. From the way Manuela and the old man in the jewelry shop acted, they were fairly valuable. Then, if I use alchemy on them, I could-

Something brushed against my hands. Circular, cold, and from the bit I could feel, fairly complicated in design.

I froze.

Delly stared at me and sighed, lowering her head. "It's fine, Byleth. If you don't have anything, I understand."

I shook my head. "No. I do. It's just…"

There was no mistaking what I was holding. But… it didn't make sense.

The only things in my pocket should have been the diamonds and the Priphea flower my mom gave me-

Oh.

_Ba-dump._

My heart throbbed and time seemed to slow down. Not literally, but subjectively.

It was one of those moments. The major decision point… like deciding whether to confess your love to someone.

Which… this was.

I stared at Delly… at Edelgard.

Beautiful, intelligent, and far too self-sacrificing for her own good. Not only that, but she was, if not madly in love with me, then absolutely devoted to being at my side.

Staring at her now, I could kind of see that. The soft and disappointed gaze she had wasn't a simple emotion. And… it hurt. A lot. Surprisingly enough.

Hm.

Love… well that was something that neither me, nor Byleth really had any experience with.

But my mother's words came to mind again.

To not do things by halves… maybe they were right. I probably did have a problem with commitment.

Then…

_Ba-dump._

Entwined feeling across multiple lifetimes. I could feel my emotions as well as 'my' emotions towards Edelgard.

They were… complicated, but I knew one thing. If I couldn't help it, I didn't want to leave her side… no. I didn't want to leave her alone.

In that case…

I ran my fingers along the ring.

Edelgard… I wasn't treating her very well for what I said to her, was I? Stand by her side, support her… those were what I told her.

For me, that was obvious.

But for her…

She didn't know if she would live beyond the year. While she had faith in me, in the back of her mind and the depths of her heart, she was probably resigning herself to not make it past the ball, if that.

Delly smiled and put on a brave face… but with that one disappointed look, I could see into how she really felt.

A yearning for something that I didn't give her. An unspoken wish.

Well, in for a penny, in for a pound.

Some people would call it stupid. Others would say I wasn't thinking… or was thinking with my other head. My dad would also probably make fun of me until the day I died.

But…

If it could give Delly, my Edelgard, piece of mind…

I knelt down on one knee.

Dorothea screamed. "Is this happening? Oh my god, it's happening!"

Bernie jumped up and down, a bright smile on her face. "He's doing it! The professor's really doing it!"

"Hmph." Hubert smirked. "About time."

"Yeah!" Caspar pumped a fist in the air. "Go, Prof!"

Petra smiled. "I am guessing Edelgard will be Edelgard Eisner after all!"

My heart raced. A tangible feeling that wasn't my imagination.

Delly was staring at me, her eyes wide in shock. She covered her mouth with her hands and shook her head. Her beautiful violet eyes shimmered, glistening with unshed tears.

I pulled out my hand.

The ring was elaborate, forged from a pure gold that shone even in the night. The band was etched with a complex vine pattern on the outside, with the centerpiece being the red diamond I had, but carved into a rose. And then, surrounding that diamond, there were six silver leaves that faintly shimmered with rainbow light.

A rainbow iris, surrounding a crimson rose.

…I guess I figured out what the miracle my mom made for me was now.

But I was delaying.

I looked up at Delly, at my Edelgard, and took a deep breath. After that, I lowered my head and held out the ring. "Delly."

"My teacher," she whispered. "No. My Byleth. I…"

I raised my head and smiled. "It's a bit embarrassing to say this out loud, and I'm not even sure if I could do right by you, but since it's gotten to this point and I'm sure my feelings aren't going to change…" I sighed. "What I'm trying to say is, would you… you know? Be mine?"

She took the ring from my hand and slipped it on her left ring finger.

A perfect fit.

It seemed like my mom thought ahead… or was the flower bound to turn into a ring fitting whoever I chose?

I shook my head and then stood up.

She looked between the ring, and me, and then the ring. After that, a radiant smile crossed her face. "Of course I… will?" Her eyes widened and then she fell backwards, her knees giving out beneath her.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

It always amused me how you could basically buy an S-Rank with someone using renown on new game plus straight out the gate. Considering all the other new game + shenanigans, I couldn't miss this one, could I?

On a more serious note… it _was_ kind of cruel for Byleth to acknowledge Edelgard's feelings, affirm them, and then not do anything to show it when she believes that she has less than a year left to live. The guy could have at least asked her out on a date, you know?

:shake my head:

In other news, Clark and Diane probably won't get much screen time and just pop on and off every once and a while to flesh out the mercenary troop. Just look up the generic male fighter for Clark and the generic female sniper for Diane. Then imagine the fighter with red hair and the female sniper with a smile and her hair down, and you got them both.

Tomorrow (Sunday) will be a day off. Got some applications and forms I have to fill out, so I definitely won't have time to write at all.

Thanks for reading and your input!

I hope the chapter was a fun read, and that you all have a good weekend! See you Monday!

P.S. Thanks for satisfying my bit of curiosity last chapter. It was fun reading how you came across my story, and I hope that it keeps being enjoyable in the future! Pacing might be rough since I'm, er, still making this up as I go, but hopefully it's a fun and wild ride til the end!


	58. I Won't Let Go

"Delly!" I grabbed her before she could hit the ground, pulling her close.

Her body felt cold to the touch, even through her clothes. Almost as if she was a literal ice maiden, formed from glacial snow.

"Allow me!" Hubert ran forward.

For a split second, I pulled Delly closer, unwilling to let go. But then my rational mind took over and I shifted her to let Hubert check on her.

The dark magic user faintly smiled when he saw my action, but that expression was quickly replaced by his usual stern face. His dark eyes focused on Delly's face and then he reached out to her neck to check her pulse. A moment later, he frowned and then started muttering, a violet aura appearing around his hand.

I frowned and opened my mouth to ask him what was wrong, but before I could Dorothea ran over.

"Edie!" The former idol stopped a few paces away from us and said, "Is she alright? What happened?"

Hubert removed his hand and let out a sigh of relief. "It should simply be exhaustion. Courtesy of our dear professor's thoughtlessness and Lady Edelgard's own stubbornness."

Stella sighed and then said, "Would you think for once before acting?"

Hey! You're the one who said to give her a gift!

_Not a ring! With how exhausted she was and her condition, what did you think was going to happen? Did you forget how often people fainted in your own world during such emotional moments?_

…Maybe?

A deep sigh echoed in my mind.

Hubert shook his head and said, "Even so, while I believe it is just exhaustion, it would be prudent to confirm Lady Edelgard's condition with Professor Manuela."

I nodded and picked Delly up, holding her close to my body in a bridal carry. After that, I turned towards Dorothea and said, "Dory! Is Manuela back yet?"

"D-Dory? That's… no, focus, Dora." Dorothea slapped her cheeks a bit and nodded. "She is, Professor. She came back a few hours before-"

That was all I needed to hear.

I turned towards the gate and ran forward, being careful to hold Delly close to my chest to not disturb her.

"Wait, Professor!"

Dorothea called out after me, along with the others, but I ignored them.

The gatekeeper, Aidem, waved when he saw me approaching. "Congrats, Prof-" His eyes widened when he saw Delly and he stopped talking.

"Open the gate!"

"Yes!" He turned around and started pulling the rope to open the gate. Gears and chains clanked, moving in record pace.

By the time I reached it, the gate was wide open.

Aidem's eyes were furrowed in concern and he clasped his hands together as I passed. "May the Goddess be with you!"

I nodded in gratitude and kept running. As I did, I noticed my body felt heavy, lethargic. Not only that, but my arms were trembling, despite the fact that Delly felt as light as a feather.

"Dammit."

I forgot that I was exhausted. Still, I couldn't let that stop me now. It'd be dangerous if I collapsed, but I grit my teeth and forced myself to hold steady.

In the courtyard in front of the main building of the monastery, a battalion of wyvern riders mounted their steeds. Commanding them was Seteth, holding a shining gold and silver spear in his left hand while standing in front of his own wyvern.

Seteth heard me approach and turned. His eyes widened when he saw me and he said, "Professor? Thank the Goddess you are-" He paused when he noticed Delly and said, "What happened to-"

"Manuela!"

Seteth blinked, momentarily confused, but thankfully he was quick on the uptake. He nodded and said, "On standby in the infirmary. Up the stairs on the opposite side from Rhea's room."

I nodded and ran towards the main building.

A knight in full platemail armor was guarding it, but when he saw me run over, he quickly moved to the side and held it open for me.

Like to the others, I nodded my head in thanks and kept running.

The moment I passed through the doorway, the knight closed the door. Yet, as it was closing, I heard Seteth's voice echo.

"While the professor may be safe, our duty is unfinished. To dare attack not once, but twice… let us show our foes we are not as weak as they believe!"

A roar of approval echoed, followed by the sound of wing-beats. At the same time, blinding white light illuminated the night.

I didn't stop running, but for a brief moment I glanced out a window that I passed. Through it, I saw the Crest of Cichol blaze in the sky… and persist instead of fading.

After that, an ancient mana began filling the air, one that felt like a crushing mountain- no, the land itself.

My eyes widened. That… was possible?

_What in the world?! Crests can be used in such a manner?_

It seemed like I wasn't the only one surprised. I heard my dear sister's voice echo in my mind.

For a brief moment, I wondered what exactly was happening outside. But I threw that thought away.

Delly… my Edelgard. I had to make sure she was safe.

I reached the stairs.

My limbs were shaking, so I didn't dare risk continue running. At the same time, I couldn't waste time.

While I slowly ascended the stairs, I called out. "Manuela! Hanneman! Are either of you there!?"

Thankfully, it looked like my luck turned around for once. The goddess statue Stella gave me was putting in work, for sure.

Not long after I called out, a familiar male voice called back in response. "Just who is making all that ruckus out there?" Hanneman peered out from the stairwell. "Hm? Byleth, is that-" He stopped talking when he saw Delly and ran down the stairs to help me carry her. "Allow me!"

I sighed and held Delly out for him to carry.

The Crest Scholar carefully held the princess in his arms and then carried her the rest of the way up the stairs.

I took the time to regain my breath. At the same time, I cursed my body's weakness. It seemed like my over reliance on mana was coming back to bite me. To think that I couldn't even carry the one I loved all the way when she fell ill…

After stepping onto the second floor, Hanneman started jogging down the hall towards the infirmary.

I ran after him.

Hanneman turned his head towards me and said, "What happened to Miss Hresvelg?"

I shook my head and said, "She collapsed. Hubert says from exhaustion, but we need to make sure."

"Exhaustion?" Hanneman's eyes widened. "In her condition?"

I flinched.

Hanneman sighed. "Thankfully I informed Manuela of this possibility…"

I sighed in relief.

It was a good thing that Hanneman was smart and knew how to take the initiative. I'd completely forgotten about talking to Manuela about Delly's condition.

Down the hall, there was a set of double doors. As they came into view, they opened and Manuela walked out, yawning. She looked irritated and said, "Barely a few minutes dragged out of bed and-" She noticed us and that irritation and fatigue vanished. "In here, quickly!"

Hanneman nodded and moved inside.

I stepped inside the infirmary and took a brief glance around.

It was a double room, lit by glowing white lamps. Like those in hospitals, there was a curtain dividing the two sides of the room. Both had a bed placed beside a window overlooking the southern side of the monastery. There were a few chairs for visitors next to the bed, with a window side table pushed against the wall on either side. In the center of the room, there was a desk and a large cabinet, no doubt filled with medical supplies.

Hanneman set Delly down on the bed to the left. Manuela opened the cabinet, pulling out a stethoscope and a wooden healing staff before following Hanneman.

I walked over as well… but seeing the way they hovered around Delly kept me from getting too close, like taking someone to the ER-

_"She's dead! You… You came too late! Why couldn't you-!"_

Static. A flatline. Accusations.

Another room overlapped the one in front of me. Midnight, men and women in blue gowns.

I blinked and the vision vanished, leaving only a headache behind.

Manuela wore the stethoscope and knelt before the bed, using the medical instrument to check Delly's heartbeat.

Beside her, Hanneman muttered under his breath, countless glyphs surrounding Delly's body.

Manuela sighed and stood back. "There's a regular pulse, but her heart…"

Hanneman lowered his hand as well and nodded. "The influence of her Crests. Fortunately, they are stable for the moment… though they seemed to have undergone great fluctuations not long ago."

Manuela nodded and then set her stethoscope on the table. After that, she held out her staff, muttering under her breath.

Heart? Great fluctuations in her Crests?

I slowly walked over to a chair and sat down, feeling guilt press down on my chest.

Hanneman turned to look at me and said, "Byleth. What exactly happened to Miss Hresvelg?"

I shook my head and said, "From what the others told me, she was worried and waited all day for me to return. When I finally did, I… um, decided to propose to her?"

Hanneman blinked and then let out a long sigh. "…Often, I forget that you are still young despite your background." He shook his head and said, "Could you not have chosen a better time?"

Manuela tilted her head and said, "For once, I agree with Hanneman. I know I joked about it earlier, Professor, but there's a time and place for these kinds of things, you know? A girl's gotta prepare themselves! You can't just spring it on them unannounced!" She paused and glanced at Delly's hand. "Though I can see where your salary went to if that's the ring you got her…"

Hanneman shook his head and said, "Well, there is no helping what has already happened." He walked over to pat my shoulder. "It may be somewhat inopportune, but congratulations."

"…Thanks?"

"Now." Hanneman glanced at Manuela who was completely engrossed in her work. After that, he turned towards me and said, "Since Manuela has things settled here, would you mind telling me what is going on out there?" He stared out the window and said, "If I am not mistaken… that is the Crest of Cichol, is it not?"

I stared at Delly, frowning. The fact that Manuela was running so many diagnostic spells… and the pained look on Delly's face… was it that bad?

"Byleth?"

I blinked and saw that Hanneman was staring at me.

He looked outwardly curious, but there was a warm look in his gaze that showed he was concerned. Probably, the conversation was just a means to distract me.

I sighed and decided to go along with his efforts. "The ones that attacked the monastery before are back and hiding around the mountain path. Somehow, they figured out how to turn invisible and use wind magic to get short bursts of speed. My father and his troops are leading the Blue Lions back after they snuck out, but I think that." I pointed towards the Crest of Cichol. "Is a countermeasure Rhea left behind."

Hanneman nodded. "I see… It would indeed be effective against invading forces. Applying a Crest on such a large scale… with your hypothesis about the true nature of Crests, I thought it possible, but to think the Archbishop had such a device at the ready… Hm. Strange."

"It is, isn't it?"

It seemed to come out of left field. If Rhea had something like that, why didn't she use it when the monastery was being invaded in the future?

Did she just not have time to use it since she was caught off guard? No, that didn't make sense.

…Was it possible that it already existed and was being used for something else?

Right now, since it was showing the Crest of Cichol, Seteth was probably using it. But with Rhea, it would be the Crest of Seiros.

From the way the mana was being amplified, it seemed like the Crest of Cichol was pressuring everything on the ground. A domineering mana that was like the land itself… that was what it represented and how it was being applied, preventing those the land didn't approve of from moving.

Following that line of thought, the Crest of Seiros… she was a sky dragon, if I remembered right. In that case, the Crest should be something similar that dominated the skies…

I forgot who mentioned it, but someone said that the Javelins of Light the Agarthans had didn't work on Garreg Mach. Was that why? Did the Crest of Seiros prevent aerial bombardments?

"One moment." Hanneman frowned and looked at me. "What was this about the Blue Lions sneaking out of the monastery?"

Before I could answer, Manuela lowered her staff and let out a long sigh.

I quickly walked over and looked at Delly. "Is she alright?"

Manuela nodded. "She's fine now." Her voice was weary, exhausted.

I blinked and looked over towards her.

Manuela was pale, even more exhausted than she had looked initially. Noticing me staring, the songstress shook her head and smiled. "What? Worried about someone like me? I'm flattered, but shouldn't you be worried about your fiancee?"

"…Was it that bad?"

Manuela sighed. "Saw right through me, huh? Maybe I _am_ getting a bit too old for this…" She shook her head and then looked at Delly. "As for your beloved… it's complicated. She was already under a lot of stress, physically and emotionally, and then you had to go ahead and spring the question on her. Poor girl's heart couldn't take it."

I froze.

Manuela rolled her eyes and tapped my head with her staff. "Relax, Professor. I meant it figuratively, not literally. Your lovely fiancee is fine." She paused. "Well, mostly. Her body has a lot of internal damage and her mana levels are frighteningly low… but she's holding steady. As best as she could for her condition anyway."

I knelt down at the bed and grabbed Delly's left hand.

It was cold, frigid like it usually was. But it was warmer than when I carried her. It seemed like Manuela hadn't just waved her staff and sent her off with a few words at least.

Manuela sighed and pulled a seat over. "You men are so foolish… No, I suppose that girl is too." She shook her head and said, "The first thing either you, Hanneman, or Edelgard should have done was come to me about this." She glanced at Delly and said, "While the person who did emergency first aid on her was skilled, they missed the deeper internal wounds in her organs and bones."

My eyes widened and I stared at Delly's face. "You mean that she… that my Edelgard was walking around with that much pain?"

Manuela shook her head. "No. Fortunately… or unfortunately, it was deep enough that she wouldn't feel it. At most, she would have just felt cold and numb."

_"…She said that every day was cold and numb. Just a phone call, just a text message! You should have-"_

"…Stayed with her today instead of going out, Byleth." Manuela sighed. "To be honest… I'm surprised that she managed stay alive until now. With how hard her heart was working to keep her blood under control, it wouldn't have been a surprise for her to suffer a heart attack at any time."

I suddenly felt thankful that I was kneeling. If I had been standing, my legs would have given out on me. Even as it was, my hands shook. "…She never told me."

How hard it was, how exhausted she must have felt, how much of an effort it must have taken for her to even get out of bed…

Manuela stood up from her chair and walked over, placing her hand on my shoulder.

I turned my head towards her.

She gave me a soft smile and said, "Then you need to treat her well, Professor- no, Byleth. The fact that Edelgard's still alive is a testament to how unwilling she is to part from you." She sighed and said, "Ah, to be young again."

I nodded. "Then, is she going to be fine?"

Manuela paused and took her hand off my shoulder.

I felt a chill creep through my heart.

"Her condition won't get worse, but asking if she's going to be fine…" Manuela shook her head. "I know that you and Hanneman are looking to solve the problem of her Crests… but even if you do, the toll it took on her body won't disappear. Promising yourself to her was a good idea, since it gives her a reason to keep living… but unless a miracle happens, it will be hard for her to see the new year, even if the problem of the Crests is resolved. Though." She looked at me and said, "You already knew that, didn't you? That's why you gave her the ring. To buy a bit more time."

I didn't respond. Instead, I rubbed circles on the back of Delly's hand, trying to warm it up.

She wasn't wearing her usual gloves, so that let me feel the rough skin on her hands, the callouses and scratches formed on fingers that should have been soft and unblemished.

"Lighten up, Byleth." Hanneman's voice echoed and he walked over. A bright smile was on his face and he said, "While the situation may be dire, you have all of us at your side. The preeminent Crest Scholar, the best physician in all of Garreg Mach, and you, the one whose insight can peer into even divine secrets… And that is not to mention the Archbishop and the others as well." He placed his right hand on my left shoulder and said, "If a miracle is what is needed, a miracle we shall create!"

Manuela laughed. "My, Hanneman. And here I was thinking an old man like you didn't have any spirit left in him."

"Old?" Hanneman took his hand off my shoulder and smiled. "Perhaps, but while these bones may be old, I still retain my youthful spirit!"

Manuela giggled and shook her head. "My. Such optimism… well, I suppose we'll need it. And it would be a shame to tell Dorothea that she won by default."

At that time, footsteps echoed from behind the doors.

"That's the infirmary! I mean, I was just here the other day, so I'm pretty sure it is…"

I blinked. "Caspar?"

An exasperated sigh echoed and then a lovely female voice said, "Well it looks like your habit of getting into fights finally paid off, 'big bro'."

"Stop calling me that!"

I started to get up, but Manuela pushed me down.

"You stay put with your lovely fiancee, Professor," she said. "I'll deal with the idiots yelling in a sickbay."

Hanneman looked at me and then said, "I will give you two some privacy. It is the least I can do for helping me with my own wayward students." With that, Hanneman followed after Manuela.

The door opened and I saw the Black Eagles rush in. But before they could get far, Hanneman closed the curtain divider and cast Silence on the surroundings.

"What do you mean we can't-"

A hush fell over the air… and then it was just me and Delly.

I held her hand and stared at her face.

Delly… my Edelgard. Beautiful, intelligent, noble, and stubborn Edelgard.

"This…" I muttered. "Is this my fault?"

While her collapse was clearly my fault, I meant her condition as a whole. The fact that she was suffering… was it that 'Byleth' was fated to hurt her unless he followed the bloodstained path with her? Could there be no compromise otherwise?

Sothis had mentioned it. That Edelgard… that Delly was just as foolish as me for turning her back on her Fate. Then, was this the aftermath of that? A body that could not feel warmth and wouldn't last through the year?

That…

_Thump._

…made me angry.

My heart burned white hot and my body, which should have been drained of mana, felt flooded with it.

I closed my eyes and let out a slow breath.

Focus. I had to focus. Anger wouldn't help anyone here.

When I calmed down, something Manuela said came to mind. "The ring bought a bit more time?"

I lifted Delly's hand and took a closer look at the ring I gave her.

Glittering gold, shimmering silver, and a ruby rose. Now that I saw it up in the light, I realized that I recognized what it was made of.

The gold and the silver… it was the same that I saw in Rhea's room. The material that made up her throne. At the time, I didn't realize what it was, but now I knew.

The gold was refined Nabatean blood plasma while the silver… was probably mithril, what was used in the sacred weapons. A legendary mineral that amplified the plasma's restorative effects.

As for the rose… I thought it was just an ordinary red diamond, but from the ripples I felt from it, the gem had the effect of amplifying strength, a drop of energy that had been crystallized and distilled.

"Mom…"

Did you know that something like this would happen?

The gold that made up the ring… that refined blood plasma. The mana in it was familiar and warm… but it wasn't mine. Neither was it my sister's or Rhea's. That meant…

I shook my head and focused on what the ring was doing rather than what it was.

Following the flow of mana from it, I felt how it interacted with Delly's own mana.

It was hard. Since it wasn't my own mana or my body, I couldn't see it quite as clearly. Like how the body rejected foreign substances, her internal mana was trying to stop me from observing it.

Still, I managed to get a glimpse in the short time I looked.

The ring was sending soft pulses, softening the more jagged clashes from the Crest of Seiros and the Crest of Flames. At the same time, it healed the worst of the damage that resulted, gently piecing things back together.

An equilibrium… but like when I first tried to heal Annie, it wasn't enough. While things weren't getting worse, they weren't getting any better either.

"Dammit. All this power and knowledge, but I still…"

I wished I could BS it. That I could just wave my hand… no, that the power of love would just magically make my Edelgard better. That Delly would have been saved after I proposed to her.

But… it looked like that wasn't happening.

No, even if it did, I felt… I _knew_ that there'd be repercussions.

My decisions were like jenga, a carefully stacked tower of blocks. To reach the ending I wanted, I needed to take out pieces and carefully reposition them to go higher… but one misstep and everything would fall apart.

Not only that… but paired with what happened today, I felt overwhelmed.

Would everything I use just be copied and turned against me? Was this time an isolated incident? No, how much did the Flame Emperor and the other side know?

I…

Delly's eyes fluttered and she started to stir.

I threw away my thoughts and leaned forward, staring at her. "Delly?"

Her violet eyes opened, but they were unfocused. After blinking a bit, she noticed me and looked over. "My… teacher?"

I nodded. "That's right. It's me, your Byleth."

Delly frowned. Her eyes slowly focused and scanned the surroundings. "Where am I?"

"You're at the infirmary. After you collapsed, I ran all the way here with you to make sure you were alright."

"I… collapsed? Why-" She noticed that I was holding her hand… and then noticed the ring on it. Seeing that, Delly's eyes widened.

I laughed and said, "Yeah… sorry about springing it on you so suddenly."

She didn't respond, instead entranced by the ring on her hand.

"Delly?"

She slowly shook her head and muttered, "This isn't a dream, is it? That… that would be very, very cruel."

"Of course not silly." I brushed a strand of her bangs away and said, "And if someone played a prank like that on you, I'd be very upset."

Delly smiled, a radiant expression that made my heart race. And then she tried to sit up.

I frowned and gently pushed her back. "No. Lie down. It's late, and you need to rest."

"But I-"

"_Rest._" I stared at her and said, "I don't want my lovely fi- fian… er, the one I hold dear in my heart to be sick."

Delly shook her head. "I'm a bit hurt. To think that my beloved doesn't dare to call me his fiancee…"

Beloved. Hearing that from her, I felt my cheeks warm up.

Delly's eyes widened. "Byleth! Are you… embarrassed?"

"Who? Me? Embarrassed?" I shook my head. "As if. I was just… caught off guard."

"Is that so, Darling?"

My mind blanked out.

Darling? Me?

Delly's smile turned to a grin and she said, "Or would rather be called sweetheart?"

I blinked. That one… wasn't so bad. It was enough that I could focus again.

Delly noticed and muttered, "No effect huh? Then…" She looked at me, her violet eyes soft, and then she tenderly whispered, "My love."

…

…

…

The soft sound of laughter echoed.

I glared at her and said, "Think it's funny, huh?"

Delly shook her head. "I'm sorry, but it's only fair. I had to deal with the embarrassment of you calling me Delly for so long, so being able to do the same to you is quite satisfying."

Well, two could play that game.

I leaned forward and stared into her eyes. "Is that so, my beloved fiancee? The love of my life, light of my heart, and future wife… do you enjoy teasing me that much?"

It was her turn to blush. Delly's pale skin instantly colored red… though from the bright smile on her face, it seemed like she enjoyed it.

Seeing that, I realized what I said and looked away, feeling the tips of my ears heat up.

It didn't help that we were still holding hands either. Suddenly, I was very conscious about the fact that I was whispering sweet nothings to a beautiful young woman who deeply cared for me… and who agreed to marrying me. To being my wife.

At that time, Delly squeezed my hand and then whispered, "Thank you."

I looked back. "For what?" I shook my head. "You don't need to thank me for anything, Delly."

"No. I must." Delly stared at me and said, "…You hid it well, but I saw the indecisiveness you had in pulling out the ring. The others might have been fooled… but I know you well enough to tell you were surprised. And hesitant."

"What are you talking about? Hesitant? When it comes to you?"

Delly shook her head. "You're lying again. You really weren't planning to propose to me, were you?"

"…"

"…You weren't planning on it… and yet you decided to do it anyway." Delly carefully looked at me, her violet eyes searching.

For a moment, I had the illusion that she saw straight into my core and I felt like looking away… but I didn't. Instead, I firmed my heart and said, "You're imagining things."

"Again, you're lying." She sighed. "My teacher… my Byleth. I could see the hesitation in your eyes. But… I could also see the moment you decided to accept it. The moment that hesitation faded into resolve and determination. That… that…"

"W-Wait! That's not fair!"

Delly's violet eyes glistened with tears, and her voice caught in her throat. "I'm… I'm so happy that I can't…" She started sniffling, but then that sniffling turned into a full-on sob. She reached up to grab me, crying into my chest.

I froze and then sighed. I wrapped my arms around her, rubbing circles on her back to try and calm her down, and said, "There, there. Don't cry, Delly. If you're happy, be happy."

She shook her head and mumbled. "I'm sorry. I… I didn't realize that I could ever meet you, my teacher. And… And you tried so hard too. Spent so much time trying to save me even with all I did-"

I held Delly back and stared at her. "Enough. You're going to make me angry if you keep talking like that, Delly." I shook my head and said, "Just relax and get some rest. Tomorrow, after you get a good night's sleep, we can spend the whole day together and you can rant at me then over some nice tea, sweets, and proper food." I smiled and said, "Sound good?"

Delly looked at me with watery eyes and nodded.

I sighed and brushed the tears off her cheeks. "Geez… I never knew you were such a cry baby."

"…Stupid. You're the one who made me like this."

"Yeah, well… I guess I just have to take responsibility. Wait. I suppose I already did… So it works out in the end, right?"

Delly leaned her head against my shoulder and nodded. "That's right… and I won't forgive you if you run away and disappear now."

"I would never."

"…You'll be here when I wake up?"

"Of course."

"We can laze around, drink tea, and eat sweets tomorrow?"

"Well, we need to get you some real food too… but of course. I'll even bake some special chocolate cookies, just for you. Sound good?"

"Yes. That sounds… nice…" Delly trailed off, and then the light sounds of snoring echoed next to my ear.

I shook my head and gently laid her back down on the bed.

She stirred a bit the moment I let go, but then she moved her left hand over her heart and calmed down, letting out a relaxed smile. Her breathing slowed, and then she slipped into a peaceful slumber.

Seeing that, as well as how happy she looked, I leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Pleasant dreams, Delly… no, my Edelgard."

_FINALLY!_

I jumped and spun around.

When I did, I was faced with a curtain flung wide open and all of the Black Eagles staring at me.

Stella was in the front of the group, a wide, impish smile on her face.

The Silence spell was still in effect, so I couldn't hear anything, but I could see and make out their reactions.

Dorothea was squirming in place, her arms wrapped around herself and her eyes closed, clearly stuck in fantasy land.

Bernie… had a book propped open and was furiously writing in it, no doubt recording the tender moment I had just shared with my Edelgard.

Hubert looked satisfied, a faint smile on his face, and nodded when I caught his gaze.

Petra and Caspar hi-fived each other, both of them giving me a thumbs up. I couldn't hear them, but from how rapidly their lips were moving, they were probably sending out a stream of blessings.

Linhardt… was fast asleep on one of the beds, but he was holding a tiny flag with 'B + E 4ever' written on it.

And then there was Ferdinand, who stood there brushing a tear away from his eye, like a proud father.

I looked away from my students and then glared at the people who were supposed to stop them from entering.

Manuela looked away and pursed her lips, probably whistling an innocent tune.

Seeing that, I turned towards Hanneman.

The Crest Scholar shook his head and mouthed, "I'm sorry."

I sighed.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Gah, too sweet. My heart...

Unfortunately for Byleth, the other shoe's going to drop soon. While it's all nice being with Delly and his own little world, it seems that he forgot about a certain straight-laced advisor who cares a great deal about the image of the Officers Academy...

I think that's about all that comes to mind right now, so I'll leave it at that.

Thanks for reading and leaving your input! I really appreciate it.

I hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you soon!

P.S. I just noticed that Black Eagles is abbreviated as B.E. Which could also stand for Byleth Eisner, as well as Byleth and Edelgard. Neat little links.


	59. Rationally Irrational

After a long rant about invasions of privacy and that my life wasn't a soap opera for my students to enjoy, I managed to send most of them off to go and sleep.

Caspar left since he still hadn't finished his paper yet and I threatened him with lines on the chalkboard. Since Linhardt was asleep, my blue-haired student volunteered himself to bring the sleeping student back to his room.

Bernie ran off after my rant… though not out of fear. She mentioned something about getting inspiration for a masterpiece. That worried me a bit, but it was better that she was there than here.

Ferdinand wanted to stay a bit, but with some prodding from Hubert, the orange-haired noble left with a promise to return with some coffee in the morning.

That left Hubert, Dorothea, Manuela, Hanneman, and my impish little sister who was innocently leaning against the wall.

Hubert glanced at me and said, "Professor. It would be prudent for you to get some rest. I will take over watching Lady Edelgard until your return."

I glanced at Delly and hesitated. "That… I promised her to be at her side when she woke up."

Hubert shook his head. "While Lady Edelgard would indeed be delighted to see you when she awakens, she would be devastated to learn that was done at the expense of your own well-being." He gave me a level gaze and said, "Furthermore, you live not only for yourself now."

I sighed. "You make a good point, Bert."

Despite my jab, Hubert only looked amused.

Hanneman nodded and said, "I agree with young Hubert, Byleth. It would not do for you to fall ill at this time… after all, we do not have time to waste."

"Yes," Manuela said. "And also… you've been looking thinner, Professor. While I know I'm a lovely physician and Dorothea would make an adorable nurse, I don't think you'd want to be forced to a stay in the infirmary now, would you?"

"That's right, Professor." Dorothea fixed me with a stern glare and said, "You march right on back to your room and sleep! If you look dead on your feet tomorrow when taking Edie out to celebrate, well, you're going to see exactly what kinds of thorns are on this rose!"

I smiled and shook my head. "Well, if everyone's telling me that, who am I to refuse? And… I suppose it _would_ be nice to relax."

Everything had gone from zero to a hundred real quick in the past few days. It'd be nice to just take a moment to slow down and settle into a proper, ordinary professor routine…

"While it is good that you are finally considering yourself, dear brother… I believe there is one more obstacle for you to face before then."

I looked up at Stella and frowned. "What are you talking about?"

She pointed at the door.

I turned my head to look over… and saw Seteth standing there.

The green-haired advisor's hair was windswept, clearly just back from his trip to get rid of the invading Agarthans. Thankfully, he was unarmed… though from his stern face and the slight twitch above his left eye, he wasn't any less intimidating.

I forced a smile. "Seteth! Just the person I wanted to see."

Not.

He forced a smile as well and nodded. "How fortunate, Professor. Now, if you would… I have something to discuss with you." His eyes flitted towards Edelgard and then back to me. "In private."

Well… crap.

* * *

"Coffee?"

"Yes, please."

Seteth placed down a cup of black coffee on the table in front of me before pouring on for himself. After that, he took the cup to the other side of the table and sat down in his chair.

…We had gone back to his room for the discussion. It was near Rhea's room, and so far from the infirmary, around the corner and on the other side of the second floor.

Seteth said it was for privacy.

I had a feeling it was more so that he could yell at me without waking my Edelgard.

We were seated again at the window side table in his room, overlooking the courtyard. With the near full moon, it was a peaceful nightscape outside, completely at odds with what had happened earlier. The Crest of Cichol and the tense atmosphere over the monastery had faded away, as if it was just another ordinary night.

Of course, such an ordinary scene held hidden dangers. The calm before the storm, so to speak.

Seteth took a sip from his coffee and said, "A calm night, is it not?"

I mimicked him, taking a sip to calm my nerves. "It is. How's the situation, by the way? Since you're back, I assume it's settled?"

"Indeed," Seteth said. "Your father and his troops took care of most of the attackers once our countermeasure was used. My own battalion is cleaning up the stragglers, but for the most part the danger is over." He set down his coffee cup and frowned. "Still, to think they had such advanced technology… I had always known the Church of Seiros had deeply concealed enemies, but to think it was to this extent…"

I nodded. "I'm bothered by that too. I didn't think they could adapt so quickly… I mean, they even copied my techniques."

"Hm?"

My eyes widened. I didn't mean to say the last part out loud… maybe I did need more sleep.

I wracked my mind and said, "It's a trade secret of mine. I won't say exactly how it works, but I can use wind magic to get an explosive burst of speed when I attack." I frowned and said, "I only used it… what, once? Against them, yet they managed to replicate it so easily… Granted, it's not as refined as mine since I can turn and adjust directions, it's still pretty scary."

Seteth took another sip from his coffee and said, "Then it is greatly fortuitous that Rhea did not underestimate them and set up the proper countermeasures before she left. Though, to have predicted this much… could she have heard another message?"

I shrugged. "Maybe. Though… proper countermeasures? I guess that explains the Crest amplification."

He said 'countermeasures' though, so I wondered what else was hiding away and waiting to be used. I clearly saw the guy using his sacred weapon earlier, so maybe Rhea had gone out ahead of time to gather them all?

Seteth's eyes widened. "You recognized it?" He paused. "No, I should expect as much considering your research with Hanneman… however." He narrowed his eyes and looked at me. "How did you recognize it as amplification? Most would simply see it as a hidden device."

"…Trade secret?"

"Ah." Seteth gave me a sarcastic nod. "Of course. I should have expected that. Part of the mystery behind why you can use the Crest of Aubin, is it?"

"…Yes?"

"I see."

A tense silence filled the room.

I took another sip from my coffee.

I hadn't noticed it the first time, but it was sweet and thin. Considering Seteth knew I liked it bitter, it seemed that he wasn't above petty revenge.

Still, coffee was coffee…

I set down my cup and said, "Did you ever figure out why they attacked, by the way?"

Seteth tilted his head. "You mean the recent invaders? While it was difficult capturing any alive without getting… creative. We discovered that they were lying in ambush for your father." He smiled. "It would appear that their plans at Zanado did not go quite as planned. As for the Blue Lions… it just so happened that they were a target of circumstance. Though, it seems that yet again our enemies underestimated us."

I frowned. "I guess so… but they probably won't after this."

The Agarthans pulled out some trump cards, probably trying to end or cripple us early, but we managed to stop them with our own. Both sides now didn't know how many cards the other side had… so they'd be more cautious going forward.

Seteth nodded, his face grim. "I agree. We will need to be ever more vigilant… particularly once the proper monthly missions begin. It might be prudent to send out a battalion of the Knights of Seiros with each house… though that is a matter of concern after the mock battle."

I nodded.

"Now with that settled…" Seteth downed the rest of his coffee and set his cup on the table. "Shall we move onto the true subject of this discussion?"

I froze and took a long sip from my coffee before setting my cup down as well. I already knew what he was talking about, but I still feigned ignorance. "That would be?"

Seteth looked me in the eye and said, "Professor- no, Byleth."

"Yes?"

"You are well aware of the prestige that one holds in a position such as yours, are you not?"

I slowly nodded. "I am."

"The actions you take, the words you say, as well as your general conduct reflects directly upon the Officers Academy and, in turn, the monastery as a whole. You understand?"

"I do."

Seteth stood up and slammed his hand on the table. "Then what in the _Goddess's name_ convinced you that it was a good idea to propose to one of your students?"

I flinched, but steadily stared at Seteth and said, "I'm not taking it back."

"While your commitment and resolve is admirable, Edelgard is your house leader! Furthermore, the future Adrestrian Emperor!"

I nodded. "I'm well aware."

Seteth ran his right hand through his hair and said, "_Please_ tell me you considered the fallout before proposing and that it was not a spur of the moment decision."

I was quiet.

"Byleth." Seteth's voice was calm. "Tell me that you proposed after considering everything. Please."

"I… did?"

Seteth let out a long sigh and sat down, holding his head with both hands. "Have you forgotten the political turmoil occurring at the moment?" He raised his head and said, "The Regent Emperor would seek any avenue to discredit Edelgard and her succession to the throne. With this, he has the perfect opportunity to do so!"

"Ah. Well… I forgot about that part?"

Between the time limit on Delly's life, Stella, and the other things… I kind of forgot what was going on in the background.

Seteth covered his face with his hands and groaned. "You are fortunate that I think highly of you, Byleth. Were you any other person… Hah. Well, I suppose this can work. At the least, the Knight of Seiros can take the stance of protecting the last rightful heir of their longest ally."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Then… I'm good?"

"No. You are not." Seteth raised his head and laced his fingers together, placing his hands on the table. "Despite the serendipitous arrangement, the fact remains that you proposed to one of your students. You, a professor at the esteemed Officers Academy, and the Black Eagles House Professor at that, proposed to a student, the esteemed House Leader of the Black Eagles." He glared at me and said, "Furthermore, this was done not even a week into the school year- no, before the lessons even began properly! How in the _world_ can you be 'good' after this?!"

"Well when you put it that way…"

It… did sound kind of bad.

"Where do I even _begin_ reprimanding you?" Seteth shook his head and said, "Manuela was already bad enough with her attire, and Hanneman focused too much on his research… Here I thought that we had a proper and competent professor at last and then you go and do _this._"

I frowned. "It's not _that_ bad, is it?"

Seteth stood up and started pacing. "Sudden proposals and engagements in the Officers Academy… I suppose they are not uncommon. But for a professor to propose to their student…" He stopped and stared at me. "Did you not stop to consider the talk that will spread as a result?"

"Well-"

Seteth crossed his arms and fixed me with a stern look. "Rhea's judgment will be called into question. Not only that, but have you considered Miss Hresvelg's reputation? She is the future Adrestrian Emperor! For her, countless nobles and Crest bearers throughout Fodlan would be willing to leave their families to join in matrimony! And yet… She chose you! A mercenary without any trackable history… and the little that _can_ be tracked shows an infamous reputation for being a ruthless demon that is not swayed by pleas or begging!"

I frowned. "Hey now, I wasn't that bad."

Seteth slammed his hands on the table and leaned forward. "But people believe you were… no, _are_! Such a bloodthirsty man proposing to the future emperor and her accepting… Do you understand the implications of such a thing?"

I paused. "…People will think I coerced her?"

"Not only that, but they will quiver in fear! The nobles will think that you will purge those that robbed the previous Emperor of his power while the commoners will fear that you will oppress them with force! The fact that Miss Hresvelg, known for being obstinate and aloof, acts so differently around you is proof enough, regardless of the truth!'

That… well, he made a good point.

Seteth started pacing again. "If this spreads…" He shook his head. "For now, outside of your students and the staff, only the Knights know and they are sworn to secrecy. We can still contain it. Yes, it is salvageable." He nodded and then turned towards me. "It is too late to retract your proposal now, as well as Miss Hresvelg's decision, but we can hide it. For a few months… long enough for preparations to be made so that the decision is more amiable to the public. Of course, the ring must be hidden, but-"

"No."

"I beg your pardon?"

I stood up and shook my head. "I said no. Why should I hide my proposal? Why should Edelgard have to hide the fact that she agreed?"

Seteth opened his mouth. "You… You cannot be serious! I understand the wish to promise oneself to another and the pain of hiding such relationships, but-"

"One year."

Seteth blinked. "A year?"

"That's how long Manuela said Edelgard had left to live… and that is being optimistic. Realistically, we have until the end of this year. Seven months and four days… maybe less."

Seteth's eyes widened. "That… Byleth. Are you certain?"

"Unless Hanneman, Manuela and I find a breakthrough in Crestology or medical technology, Delly… my Edelgard will die."

Anger, guilt, vehement denial.

"I… I am going to do everything I can to stop that. To save her. But… But in the slim, near impossible chance that I fail…"

Fate. Time. The Agarthans.

The powers opposing me were strong… stronger than expected, as well as much more adaptive than anticipated.

"…I want her to at least be happy." I clenched my hands and glared at Seteth. "No, she _will_ be happy. And if the world is going to ridicule her for that…"

My left shoulder throbbed. For a split second, I felt a faint force pulse, resonating with my resolve.

"…Then the world can-!"

_Calm yourself!_

A voice cut through my wrath, splashing cold water on my thoughts.

Sothis… my dear sister's voice echoed in my mind.

_Have you forgotten? You are not alone! Such drastic measures are far from necessary. And who cares what others think? Yours is a love that rises above such trivial things! _

I took a deep breath, calming down.

She was right. Sothis… Stella was right.

_Furthermore, have you forgotten? You are not the only one who cares for my dear Sister-in-law. Your students, Dimitri, as well as the others all care for her as well. There will be quite the reckoning if any fool dares to open their mouth and belittle the vows you two have exchanged._

With that, my heart calmed down. When it did, I looked back at Seteth.

Surprisingly, he didn't look angry. Instead… a strange emotion was on his face. One I couldn't quite read.

He stared at me for a few more moments and then sighed. As if all the energy left him, he slumped down into his chair.

Seeing that, I sat down as well.

"…You will not change your mind about publicizing the engagement?"

"_Never._"

Seteth pinched the bridge of his nose. "You… hah. It seems that I have forgotten the obstinacy of youth and its recklessness… But I suppose that is the consequence of aging."

I blinked, confused.

Seteth waved his hand and said, "Very well. If you wish for this to go through so much… if you are that adamant, I will… find a way to make this work."

"…Really?"

Seteth scoffed. "You say that as if I have any choice in the matter. From the expression on your face, you seemed ready to single-handedly wage war against the Adrestrian Empire and burn Fodlan down to the ground." He frowned and then said, "And with the Crest of Aubin, I fear that may not be inaccurate. Also, I saw how well that went the last time..."

I coughed. "That… I wasn't going to do anything of the sort."

Seteth gave me the look. The one a parent gave a child when they knew they were lying.

I averted my gaze.

He sighed and said, "Well… I suppose I must do even _more_ paperwork to settle this. I will need to apologize to Flayn later…"

I winced. "Sorry."

Seteth shook his head. "Do not apologize. If you are willing to go to such lengths for the one you love, do not compromise."

"Understood."

"…Still." He sighed. "I wonder if you might not be related to Rhea. Goddess forbid you two seem to share that unruly temper…"

Hm. I wonder if this is a bad time to mention that I'm her grandson…

Seteth's eyes widened.

"…I said that out loud, didn't I?"

Seteth groaned. "That answers _so_ many questions. And raises many more that I have to discuss with my dear sister."

I blinked. "With Flayn?"

What did she have to do with this?

Seteth paused and then shook his head. "Just… go back to your beloved's side for the time being. There is much I need to sort out tonight… and probably tomorrow as well." He sighed and said, "I will come get you again when everything is settled."

"…Alright?"

"And for the love of all that is holy, _please_ act like an ordinary professor. The mock battle is but three days away and the proper lessons are the day after… no, I suppose it would be tomorrow given the time." He shook his head and said, "In any case, just… remain in the monastery and perform your assigned duties. If you need help in your lessons, I will draft a plan and send it to you posthaste."

I nodded. "I will… or I'll try. But trouble-"

"Do not try. _Do._ Or else I will be forced to assign Jeritza as the House Professor until the situation calms down."

I swallowed my words and nodded.

"Understood."

"Good. Then you are dismissed, Professor."

I decided not to test my luck any further and quickly left Seteth's room, closing the door behind me.

As it did though, I heard him musing.

"…Does that mean that Stella is my grand-niece? And if she is that adorable a generation removed, what of Flayn's children? No, that would require her getting married and-"

I hastened my steps and did my best to forget what I just heard. There were plenty of reasons already for Seteth to make my life miserable, I didn't need any more.

* * *

Back in the infirmary, everyone had left except for Hubert, who was seated by Delly and reading a book.

I walked over towards him and waved.

"So you are back, Professor?" Hubert turned a page and said, "How was the discussion with Seteth?"

I pulled a chair next to Delly. "It was… something. Where'd everybody else go?"

"Professor Hanneman returned to his office with Professor Manuela to discuss possible treatments for Lady Edelgard while your sister left with Dorothea for a, and I quote, slumber party."

I nodded and then stared at Delly… at my Edelgard. She was still sleeping peacefully with that relaxed smile on her face. Sometime in her sleep, she had turned a bit, curling her right hand around her ring, hugging her left hand against her chest.

It was cute, enough to make me forget about the discussion I had with Seteth for a bit.

The sound of a page turning reminded me that I wasn't alone.

"…Don't you need to sleep?"

"I should be asking that of you, Professor." Hubert turned another page and said, "I had thought you would have returned to your room by now after the discussion. Though I suppose that is impossible in hindsight." He closed his book and sighed. "After all, it would seem that you are as stubborn as Lady Edelgard is when it comes to being concerned about their beloved."

I sighed. "I can't help it." I turned back to Delly and said, "She gave up too much for me, so the least I can do is be there for her."

"True. However, I am afraid that there is room enough for just one completely self-sacrificing fool in Lady Edelgard's life."

My eyes widened and I spun towards Hubert. "What are you-"

His hands were up, flickering with dark magic. "Sleep, Professor."

A wave of fatigue hit me, even through the coffee I had. The Sleep spell that I should have been able to normally resist took effect from my lack of mana.

"Bert, you… bastard…"

Hubert shrugged and went back to reading his book. "If that is what it takes to ensure you are well-rested and capable of taking Lady Edelgard on a proper outing, so be it."

Son of a-

The last thing I remembered was someone lifting me up and the sound of a bed being moved around.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Well, Byleth _is_ related to Rhea. I figured the two share a bit of irrationality when it comes to love.

Seteth is exasperated, but decides to act like a proper adult and handle the mess Byleth left him… though he's definitely not just going to let it slide. That'll come later though.

Hm… not much else I've got to say, I think?

Thanks for reading and any input, as always! I greatly appreciate it.

Hope the chapter was enjoyable, and I'll see you soon!


	60. Do Diligence

Someone was messing with my hair.

I groaned and rolled over. "Give me a few more minutes, Dad."

A light chuckle echoed from beside me, someone that _definitely_ was not Dad.

I opened my eyes to see Delly staring at me. She smiled and placed a hand on my face.

"Good morning, my love."

A soft and tender gaze. Warm words filled with affection and happiness.

I blinked and then closed my eyes.

I must still be dreaming. There's no way that I would be sleeping next to Delly. Right. A dream. That's what this was.

"Still sleeping? Then…"

Something brushed against my lips. Warm, slightly wet… and sweet.

My eyes snapped open.

Delly quickly leaned back, her face flushed but with a radiant smile.

I frowned.

Delly's smile weakened and she furrowed her brows. "Should I not have-"

"One moment."

I sat up and scanned my surroundings.

It was the infirmary, the same place where I was watching over Delly. Only, instead of sitting down in front of her, somehow, there was another bed and I'd been sleeping next to her.

Thankfully, no one was around… but that brought up the question of how I got next to Delly and why the bed was here to begin with-

The fuzz in my head cleared up and I narrowed my eyes. "Bert."

Delly sat up and said, "If you're looking for Hubert, he left a short time after I woke up to give us some privacy."

My frown deepened.

Hubert had to have done that on purpose. He probably knew that my Edelgard would love watching me sleep and that I'd be embarrassed waking up to her smile.

Granted, I couldn't fault him for doing it… but it still annoyed the crap out of me.

"Try not to think too poorly of Hubert." Delly brushed a few strands of hair away from my face and said, "While he may be a bit… brusque, he does care."

I sighed and got out of the bed. "That's why I'm annoyed. Stupid self-sacrificing prick."

He probably didn't sleep either. What a hypocrite.

Delly sat up as well and then stretched.

I stared at her for a bit and then looked out the window.

It was still early morning and the grounds were still fairly gray. While I couldn't see the sun from the window, it didn't seem like it had gotten very high in the sky.

I shook my head and then glanced back at Delly.

She had pushed the covers aside and was sitting on the edge of the bed, watching me with a relaxed smile.

"Did you have a good night's sleep?"

She nodded. "The best in many, many years… but even so, I couldn't wait to wake up."

"Hm?" I frowned. "Why's that?"

Delly's smile widened. She got up and walked over to me, grabbing my hand. "Why would I want to sleep when I'm already living in my dearest dream?"

I felt the tips of my ears warm up. "I-I see. That is a pretty good reason…"

Delly laughed and let go of my hand. "It's so strange seeing you embarrassed! But…" She stared at my face and smiled. "It's refreshing as well."

I averted my gaze and said, "Yeah, well… have your fun while it lasts. I'll get used to it eventually."

Delly's smile faded and she lowered her head. "…So you're saying you'll get tired of me?"

I quickly glanced back. "That's not-"

Delly's mouth twitched.

I sighed.

Delly laughed. "Sorry. It's just… I can see why you tease everyone now. This is quite amusing."

"Yeah, yeah…"

The door to the infirmary opened. Ferdinand walked in, holding a cup of coffee and a cup of tea. Hubert walked in behind him.

"Ferd?" I frowned.

"Aha!" Ferdinand turned his head back to Hubert and said, "I knew they would have awoken by now!"

"So it would appear." Hubert stared at me and frowned. "It seems that my sleep spell was not as powerful as I thought it was… or perhaps the Professor's resistance is greater than I anticipated."

Delly waved and said, "Good morning, Ferdinand. And hello again, Hubert."

Hubert nodded. "Lady Edelgard."

Ferdinand smiled and said, "Ah, to see such a relaxed smile upon Edelgard's face…" He turned towards me and said, "You are truly a miracle worker, Professor. I was beginning to believe that I would never see such an Edelgard again in my lifetime."

Delly frowned. "And what is that supposed to mean, Ferdinand?"

The orange-haired noble shook his head and placed his cups down on the table. "I mean no slight, Edelgard. Simply that it is a great relief to see you acting in such a manner once more. I am sure that I can speak for all of the Black Eagles that we are thrilled to have our dear friend back rather than the cold and aloof future Adrestrian Emperor."

Delly winced. "I… suppose I _have_ been acting distant in recent years…"

Ferdinand nodded. "Indeed. Though for you to change so suddenly… hm. Should I propose to Dorothea? It did wonders when the Professor proposed to you, Edelgard…"

My eyes widened and I shook my head. "That… That is definitely too much too soon, Ferd."

Ferdinand frowned. "Would you care to explain? Have you and Edelgard not only known each other for a few days? Dorothea and I have known each other for years now. Surely there would be no problem?"

I blinked. "Um…"

Delly coughed. "Ferdinand. I'm afraid that your situation with Dora is a bit different from the Professor and I." She glanced at me and smiled. "From the moment we met, the Professor… no, Byleth and I…" She shook her head. "Let us just say that it felt like we had known each other for countless lifetimes. I mean no offense to you, Ferdinand, but Dorothea and yourself…"

"Ah." Ferdinand frowned. "That is true… Though 'countless lifetimes', Edelgard?" He smiled. "Why, I thought that I was the romantic?"

Delly flushed but shrugged. "Even one such as I dreams of love." She glanced back at me.

I coughed and said, "So… is that coffee for me, Ferd?"

"Hm? Ah, yes." Ferdinand nodded and handed it over. "I thought you would like something to wake up. And for you, Edelgard, some Hresvelg Blend."

Delly smiled. "Why thank you, Ferdinand. How thoughtful."

Hubert nodded. "Even the optimistic fool has a few good thoughts now and then… when his head isn't lost in the clouds that is."

Ferdinand shrugged. "Better lost in the clouds than dragged down by shadowy worries."

"Hmph."

I took a sip from the coffee. It was… sadly sweet, but not overbearingly so. I could still taste the bitterness from the beans used, so it wasn't bad.

Hubert glanced at me and said, "Professor. Have you considered yet how to broach the details of your engagement with Lady Edelgard? I presume you must have discussed it to some level with Seteth."

Delly froze and then subconsciously grabbed her ring with her right hand. "That… I had forgotten about it." She frowned and said, "It will be… troublesome."

I grabbed Delly's hand and smiled. "It will work out."

Delly shook her head. "I don't want to be a bother to you. And with how this looks…"

"Who cares? There's nothing to be ashamed of in proposing to you. People might think I'm stupid and jeopardizing my career… but it's not like I have much to lose other than that, right? Besides, it's not like Rhea would banish me from the monastery."

Delly pulled her hand back and said, "_I_ care. Byleth. This is your calling, where you can do the most good. While I am happy- no, _thrilled_ that you would be willing to give it up to be with me, I refuse to let you do so."

"But Delly-"

"No buts."

I frowned.

Delly turned towards Hubert and said, "Who knows about this?"

"Thus far?" Hubert said. "Only our class and the knights. The former know better and the latter were silenced by Seteth."

"Then we should stay quiet for now." Delly looked to me and said, "While we need not hide it… perhaps it would be best to not publicize it either."

"That will not do," Hubert said. "Rumors are already abound about you and the Professor, Lady Edelgard. The moment you appear with a ring…"

Delly's eyes widened and then she frowned. "That… I had not considered." She shook her head, an amused smile on her face. "How unlike me. Perhaps I have become a bit too relaxed…"

Hubert faintly smiled. "Perhaps. But I would rather that be the case and you be happy now that you have decisively given up the other path. Do you not agree, Professor?"

I nodded. "Obviously."

"My love…"

"Furthermore…" Hubert's smile turned dark. "If anyone dares to obstruct you… then I will cut a bloody path forward."

Ferdinand spoke up. "I would not go _that_ far, Hubert. While a bit… unconventional, the Professor's proposal is not any more scandalous than the story of how my ancestor proposed to Edelgard's ancestor. Granted, he was rejected then… but…" He shook his head and looked at me. "In any case, I will definitely do my best to sway the public opinion in your favor! This I swear as Ferdinand von Aegir!"

Leaving those firm words behind, he ran off.

Hubert smirked and shook his head. "Always enthusiastic, that one."

"Yeah," I said. "His optimism is contagious though."

"I must admit," Hubert said. "It _is_ his best point. But Lady Edelgard… what are your thoughts?"

I paused and glanced at her as well.

Delly sighed and then turned towards me. She grabbed my hand and then said, "My love- no, Byleth."

"…Yes, Delly?"

She smiled. "I have no words for how happy you have made me. The fact that you are willing to go so far warms my heart… and the fact that you promised to laze around with me and eat delicious food is incredibly tempting."

"…I sense a but."

Delly nodded. "But it seems that I have a fair bit of work to do before that time."

I frowned. "You've done more than enough. I think- no, I _say_ that you've earned your rest. And…" My eyes flitted towards the thin black lines along her neck.

Delly shook her head. "I have to do my part as well, my love. If we are to be wed… well, I cannot have you bear all of my burdens." She tilted her head. "Or did you think me some helpless maiden who needed to be saved?"

I froze. "That…"

Delly laughed and rubbed my hand. "I jest. Still, I must admit that I have enjoyed being treated as such by you… Still, if you continue to spoil me like this, I fear I may turn rotten. That simply will not do. Therefore…" She let go of my hand and said, "Why don't we take a bit of a break for now."

_Throb_.

I placed a hand on my chest and smiled. "Why, I'm hurt, Delly. Barely a day into the engagement and my lovely fiancée is already asking for some space."

Delly rolled her eyes. "Come Hubert. I suppose it is time to have that long discussion with my dear brother."

Hubert bowed his head. "As you say, Lady Edelgard."

Delly started walking away, Hubert following beside her.

I sighed.

After a few steps, she paused.

Before I could ask her what was wrong, she dashed back and gave me a quick peck on the lips.

I froze.

She smiled and said, "Don't be too heartbroken, my love. I'll settle this soon, I promise."

With those words, she left, leaving me alone in the infirmary.

I blinked and then sighed.

"Well… Seteth did say to act like an ordinary professor for once…"

With nothing else to do, I decided to head back to my room.

* * *

Inside, I did a quick pulse to check for surveillance devices. This time, however, I found nothing.

I walked inside, leaving the door open as I stepped in.

"…Huh."

Stella wasn't there, probably still sleeping over with Dory. And with Delly out doing her own business, that meant I was completely alone.

"This place feels kind of empty."

Without either my sister or Delly around, I felt strangely lonely. They weren't that far away, and it hadn't even been a full day yet, but I was already starting to miss them.

Funny how that was.

I shook my head and closed the door behind me, walking over to my desk.

Like Seteth said, the real lessons would start tomorrow. The past few days had been relatively free, but that was because it was an adjustment period for everyone. The real test as a professor would start with tomorrow's lessons... as well as the real workload.

At that time, someone knocked on my door.

"Hm?"

Was it one of my students? One of the other house students? Delly? My father?

Curious, I walked over to open my door.

The moment I did, a cheery voice called out.

"Greetings, Professor!"

I blinked.

A man in full platemail with a sword sheathed at his right side and a satchel tied to his left. A helmet that hid his hair and most of his face… but not his bright smile.

"Gatekeeper?"

His smile widened and he shook his head. "I'm off duty right now, so Aidem is fine, Professor!"

"In that case, call me Byleth." I smiled. "You've more than earned that right."

"Oh, I couldn't!" Aidem shook his head. "I'm afraid I'll slip up on the job then… but I appreciate the gesture!"

"If you say so… Ah." I frowned. "I didn't get you anything last night… and after I said I would, too."

"That's fine!" Aidem said. "The fact that you considered it at all already warms my heart, Professor. That's more than enough thanks for me!"

"Are you sure? I think I can still get you something…"

Aidem shook his head. "Again, it's appreciated, but I'm actually in a rush right now." He pulled out a rolled up scroll from satchel and handed it over. "A letter for you… from Seteth. It's the guidelines for professors, freshly drafted for this coming school year."

I accepted it with a wry smile. "Thanks, Aidem. Though guidelines, huh…?"

And freshly drafted at that.

I guess Seteth wasn't letting me off that easily.

Aidem saluted and said, "Just doing my job, Professor! Ah, speaking of jobs…" He looked around and then leaned in, whispering. "Are you going to be alright? I accidentally let slip your engagement yesterday to Seteth. I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me… but with how happy you two looked, I couldn't help myself."

I shook my head. "It's fine. I'm on Seteth's shortlist at the moment, but things should work out."

Aidem sighed in relief. "That's great! I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I caused you to lose your job, Professor."

I smiled. "I appreciate it. Though…" I frowned and stared at his armor. "You said you were off-duty, right? Why are you still in your uniform?"

"Ah. Well…" Aidem gave a shy smile and rubbed the back of his neck. "Girls like a knight in armor, right?"

I sighed.

Aidem grinned and waved. "Anyway, have a good day, Professor! I'll see you soon!"

After Aidem left, I closed the door and glanced at the rolled up scroll.

It was sealed with the emblem of the Church of Seiros… that is to say, the Crest of Seiros, so it was clearly official.

It also meant I probably couldn't ignore it.

"Professor guidelines, huh?"

I sighed and walked over to my desk, unrolling the scroll on it. After that, I read through the contents, written in a tidy scrawl.

It was long and detailed, but I managed to get through it all without too much trouble.

To sum things up:

Every student is offered an advancement exam once every two months, totaling five through the school year. The first comes at the end of May. This consists of a practical exam and written portion, with a majority weighing on the practical exam.

There are three primary class categories, novice, advanced, and master. In order to graduate, it is expected for a student to either reach advanced class, or master three novice classes.

As a professor, at least three quarters of the class must pass. Also, each exam attempt comes from my salary. Obviously, the incentive is to make sure students pass on the first attempt.

While the contents of the lectures may differ, the timing of the classes are strictly regulated so as to synchronize dining times.

Finally, the weekly schedule for students, barring a special occasion, is the following:

8AM-9AM – Homeroom Check-In

9AM-12PM – Lectures

12PM-2PM – Lunch

2PM-5PM – Combat Training/Formations

5PM-7PM – Dinner

7PM-10PM – Free Time

10PM – Curfew

…And that was about it.

Still, looking at that schedule made me wince. It was already packed for students, but for me… wouldn't it be worse? I had to write lecture materials, quizzes, assignments, and tests. Not only that, but I had to grade things as well…

I sent a small prayer out to primary and secondary school teachers. Suddenly, I understood why my old teachers always seemed dead in the morning.

I also cursed out university professors who only had classes every other day. While I got why that was the case now… when I compared it to what I'd be doing, I was envious.

I sighed and rolled the scroll back up, setting it aside.

If I was going to be that busy, I guess that meant I wouldn't have any breathing room to mess things up. Though I wonder if Seteth arranged it like that on purpose…

Either way, it looked like I was going to be busy.

…And busy without any coffee.

Damn. I forgot to ask Seteth about where he got his supply.

I sighed again and pulled out some blank parchment as well as my previous lecture notes. I also pulled out the goals sheets I made everyone write out a few days ago.

…This would take a while.

* * *

After a long time and a few trays of cookies I made while procrastinating, the door to my room opened.

I blinked and glanced over, confused.

The only ones with a key to my room were myself and…

"There you are!"

…my sister.

Stella walked over and said, "What were you doing, hiding in here like a hermit all morning?"

"All day?"

At that time, the bell in the Goddess Tower rang, followed by the familiar chime of the Fire Emblem theme.

"…Ah. It's already noon?" I rubbed my eyes and stretched. After that, I carefully stacked my notes together.

Stella walked over and glanced at my notes. "Are you putting together your lecture materials for the week?"

I nodded. "That's right… the schedule's going to be pretty intense, so I won't have any time otherwise."

"Intense?"

"Right… here. Take a look." I opened the scroll again and pointed to the schedule.

Stella's face paled. "This… I must follow this?"

I blinked, and then a smile spread across my face. "That's right… You're a proper student now, aren't you?"

Stella huffed. "Do not ridicule me! You are in much dire straits being the professor, are you not?"

"I am. But since you're going to have to suffer too, I think I can manage." My smile turned to a grin and I said, "To think that _you_ of all people would be reduced to having to take notes and write assignments…"

Stella groaned. "Do not remind me! I have yet to finish the paper you assigned for tomorrow…"

I laughed.

* * *

Stella dragged me across the monastery towards the dining hall.

Apparently we were having Peach Currant today, and she was dying to try it.

As we traveled across the monastery though, I noticed that it was much livelier than usual. There were a lot more students around, and they seemed pretty energetic too.

I found out why when we passed a pair of girls in the courtyard.

"Did you hear? Lady Edelgard got engaged!"

I froze and glanced over. Or started to. Before I could, Stella tugged my arm and shook my head.

I took the cue and carefully kept walking. Still, I paid attention to their conversation.

"Ooh! To who? Maybe Prince Dimitri?"

"As if! Prince Dimitri is Edelgard's stepbrother, so unless they're into that… No, I think it's Claude. Such a beautiful ring could only come from a mysterious guy like him, right? And then there's that tension between them…"

"Ha! I'd sooner believe that she's engaged to Professor Eisner than Claude. At least around him, she acts like how a normal girl with a crush would."

"Well, yeah. But what girl wouldn't act giddy around a guy like him?"

I shook my head and continued on my way, tuning out the rest of the conversation.

* * *

Maybe since I was too concerned about the upcoming lessons, or because I really missed Delly, time went by in a blur and I found myself back in my room working on my lesson plans.

I was tempted to walk around and check on everyone, but considering that Seteth had threatened to sack me if I didn't do things right, and since today was the last real free day before that spartan schedule was enforced, I sat inside again.

After sketching out the next few weeks, there was a knock at my door. Loud but rhythmic, a pattern I knew well.

"Come in, Dad. It's not locked."

The door opened and then my dad stepped inside.

I briefly glanced at him and then went back to my notes.

Let's see… I covered the basic types of attacks recently, so the obvious step would be projectiles and exceptions. But then down the line… what would I cover then? Styles? Rhythm? Hm…

My father walked over. He took one look at the stack of papers on my desk and laughed. "Looks like even you can't avoid the paperwork, huh Kid?"

I nodded. "Regrettably, I can't. I wish I could magic it away, but…"

"Heh. Me too, Kid. Me too."

I glanced over at him and said, "Why are you here anyway? Skiving off work by bumming it on Alois again?"

"Nah. Got some dinner for my hard-working kid."

"Dinner?" I glanced outside and blinked.

The sun was slowly sinking below the horizon, dyeing the blue sky crimson.

I frowned. "Already, huh?" I shifted my gaze back at my lesson plans and glared at them. Sadly, that didn't make them magically write themselves and I sighed.

My dad set down a wrapped package on my desk and said, "Home cooked dinner, on Eis… ner. Get it? Because it's on-"

I glared at him.

"...Paperwork's that bad, huh?"

I unwrapped the package and sighed. "You have no idea."

"If it's anything like what I've gotta deal with… I don't envy you."

"I don't envy me either."

After saying that, I glanced down at what my dad brought me.

Like he said, it was on ice, a thin sheet at the bottom and wrapped in wax to keep the food cool. As for what the food was… it was a pile of sandwiches and some carrots.

They were messy. The meat and tomatoes spilled out from the bread and the bits of lettuce were awkwardly cut. As for the carrots, it looked like the person cutting them started out making hearts, but eventually gave up and just chopped them into rough cuts instead.

Despite that, I could see that it was carefully prepared.

I smiled. "Thanks dad."

He shook his head. "Don't thank me. Thank your sister and your lovely fiancé."

I froze. "…Ah."

My dad walked over to the door and closed it. When he did, Jeralt Reus Eisner, the stern-faced leader of the Eisner Mercenary Troop took his place.

He turned around and said, "So, Kid."

"…Yes, Dad?"

Jeralt was quiet, simply staring me down.

I waited, but seeing as he wasn't saying anything, I decided to start eating before the sandwiches got soggy.

I picked one up and took a bite.

It was… surprisingly alright. The textures were all messed up from the weird cuts, but it was still a sandwich. That-

"Did you knock up the future Adrestrian Emperor?"

I choked on the bit of sandwich I was just eating and smacked my chest. Thankfully, I managed to get it down. That would have been an embarrassing way to go out… and Stella would never have let me live it down.

After making sure I wasn't going to drop dead, I glared at my dad.

He smirked.

"I hate you."

My dad shrugged. "You're about six years overdue for your rebellious streak, but better late than never, right?"

I rolled my eyes and took another bite from my sandwich.

My dad was gracious enough to wait for me to finish chewing this time before talking. "Now, just for the record-"

"_No_ Dad. Edelgard isn't pregnant."

He frowned. "Then care telling me why you popped the question? You _do_ realize that's how this looks, right?"

I paused. After that, I let out a loud groan.

"…I guess you didn't, huh Kid?" My dad smirked and said, "I was getting worried there that you changed from everything I heard from your dear sister… but it looks like you're still my thoughtless kid at heart."

"Yeah, well…" I took a bite from my sandwich and said, "Kind of wish I got more of mom's intelligence now."

She was smart and skilled enough to leave a perfect ring for Delly, after all. If I had just a fraction of that foresight, I wouldn't be in this mess.

My dad shrugged. "You already lucked out inheriting her looks, Kid. If you got her smarts too, there'd be nothing of me left in you."

"…True."

"Hey! That's the part where you're supposed to say, 'Of course not, Dad!'"

"Right. Of course not, Dad."

"…Well," he muttered. "You got her sarcasm at least. But anyway…" He walked over to my bed and sat down on it. "I think it's about time we had that talk."

"Talk?" I paused and said, "Ah. You mean about how mom died?"

"No. The other talk. After all, you went off and got engaged to one of your students. Can't have you being even more irresponsible than that..."

…Wait.

My eyes widened and I quickly said, "Dad, I know the-"

"You see, Kid. When a man and a woman love each other very much…"

I groaned. "I don't need the talk about the birds and the bees, Dad. You already told me, remember?"

"…Oh yeah." He frowned. "Didn't even flinch when I told you.. Well. I guess since you're mature enough to want to start your own family, we can have part two."

"…Part two?"

He smiled. "Oh yeah. Part two. You see, when you're feeling up for it but she doesn't and you want to get her in the mood…"

…God dammit.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Pretty drained today. Chapter might be a bit rough, but I hope it's still enjoyable.

We'll be picking up the pace a bit now. Might try dipping in and out of days… but we'll see.

Thanks for reading! I think I'll take a break today (Thursday) and update again on Friday.

See you then!

P.S. Thanks to the guest who pointed out 'jumping the gun' doesn't fit as an expression here.


	61. Headaches Abound

After a long and explicit conversation about… things, my dad finally left me alone. Maybe because of the conversation as well, Stella made it clear that she was going to have a sleepover again, but this time with her 'dearest Sister-in-law'.

Which meant I was all alone in my room again.

Fortunately, I had a lot of work to do. Like memorizing my lecture notes. Seteth already made it explicitly clear he wasn't against the thought of having Jeritza take over for a while if I didn't do a good job. That, and considering the rumor mill… well, it was in everyone's best interest for me to be professional.

I sat at my desk, using the light of an oil lantern to see my papers. They were a bit scattered, mostly out of exasperation from 'The Talk, Part Two', so I tidied it up a bit before flipping through them again.

"Let's see…" I muttered and glanced at tomorrow's lecture notes.

First off, we'd start with questions… probably a good thing to orient the start of every week. After that, general combat principles… types of attacks and then like. Beyond that, the art of deception was probably a good topic. How to feint and stuff. And then the concept of deliberate practice… how to get better at getting better.

Attack, deceive, and practice…

For a split second, a bit of the explicit descriptions of Dad's lecture flashed in my head… and then Delly's loving gaze-

_SMACK._

"…God dammit."

I lifted my head from my table. The impact helped to break that chain of thought… but it seemed like I'd gotten either sturdier than expected or my sense of pain was messed up from my experiments. Either way, it didn't hurt… even though I'd made a dent in the table?

I sighed and stood up, stretching.

Outside, the light of the moon lit up the night scenery.

I stared at it and frowned. "The whole day's gone already?"

I barely got anything done...

"…Why do I feel like the year's going to fly by?"

Everything seemed so slow up until this point, but now it seemed to speed up.

I'd attribute it to the theory of relativity and the day being enjoyable, but considering how little interaction I had with Delly all day…

_"And remember. If you're planning to smell the flowers with that girl of yours, make sure to-"_

I groaned and started reciting the alphabet backwards. At the same time, I walked over to my closet and grabbed a spare coat. With the way things were going, I wasn't going to get anything done any time soon, so I might as well get some fresh air…

* * *

With only a few days left until the mock battle, the moon was full and bright. Paired with the lack of clouds in the sky, it meant that there was plenty to see by while I walked around.

Not that it'd be a problem for me anyway. After that weird realization with seeing the Agarthans, my eyes had been kind of weird in letting me pick up mana signatures… though it still seemed to be on and off. Like how a radio could catch a few stations at once when you scanned through.

I was walking on the path circling the monastery, heading north past the training grounds. It was late… probably far beyond curfew if I had to guess.

There were knights on patrol, but I was memorable enough that they didn't react too much to me as I passed.

Well, that wasn't completely true.

A few nodded at me as I passed, a mere courtesy, but more gave me a warm and knowing smile… while others gave me disappointed glares.

It seemed like the reactions to me proposing to Edelgard were mixed… and judging from what Dad said, probably due to the implications and timing.

What was that saying about hindsight again…? Right, it was 20/20.

I shook my head and continued on my way.

The wind was cool, a light breeze blowing through the monastery. Nice and calming, the perfect thing to slow my racing thoughts.

…Racing thoughts?

Bright light, blue and red. Sirens blaring nearby, me reaching out my hand…

I winced and clutched my head with my left hand.

_"Are you sure? You'll forget, you know?"_

An ambiguous voice, one that was familiar, but one I couldn't quite make out.

"Boss?" Claude walked over, dressed in a loose black and gold version of his uniform. "What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be resting up for class tomorrow?"

I blinked, snapping back to reality. After that, I frowned and said, "I could ask you the same thing, Claude."

The bow-using lord sighed. "I would… but a certain someone went and made a mess of everything, Boss. It's been a huge hassle trying to sort it out, so I decided to take a walk to clear my thoughts." He paused for a moment, making sure no one was around, and then leaned forward and whispered. "Did you really have to propose to Edelgard? I mean, I get that all's fair in love and war, but…"

I frowned and thought for a bit.

Claude leaned back and placed his hands behind his head. "Geez, what's with the serious face, Boss? If you're serious about it, I'm not judging. Just-"

"Claude."

"Yeah, Boss?"

I stared at him, carefully observing his face, and then said, "Will you be honest with me for once?"

Claude smiled. "I'm always honest, Boss."

"I mean it."

Claude's smile dropped. The playful glint of the charming Golden Deer House Leader faded, replaced by the calculating look of the Master Tactician.

Seeing that he was listening, I spoke what was on my mind… what I needed to know now that things had gotten to this point.

"Can I trust you? Or will you betray me?"

Like he said, everything was thrown out the window now.

Part… well, _most_ of that was due to me, but I'd gotten hints now that things went further back than just me. There were things that changed in the past, unknowns that I couldn't account for. Not because I couldn't anticipate them… but because I wasn't a strategic genius.

I had Byleth's talent, skills, and memories as well as a bunch of knowledge from Earth. That meant that I had the potential to reach, if not exceed the abilities Byleth had at the end of the game, enough skill to charge straight into Enbarr and beat out the Imperial Army with just a ragtag bunch of students… but I wasn't skilled enough _right now_.

And time was of the essence. Even if I abused Divine Pulses to buy time… and that was a _terrible_ idea considering that the other side could realize that I was using them, let alone potentially giving them more time travel ideas, I was only one guy with barely any practical experience in subterfuge, warfare, and intelligence gathering.

Claude on the other hand… he had much more experience. Not only did he live past the ending of Verdant Wind, but from what he implied he had years beyond that, enough at least to research the Divine Pulse enough to send him back in time.

That also meant years of experience getting rid of any lingering Agarthans, governing, and intelligence gathering.

Claude stared at me, contemplative, and then said, "If you want me to be honest, then I'm going to have to ask you to be honest with me first. That fair?"

I hesitated and then nodded.

"Alright." Claude looked at me and then said, "Does Edelgard still plan on starting the war? She seems different now, softer… your doing, of course. But I never was able to read her very well… if I had, the war might have ended differently." His gaze became distant for a moment.

The war might have ended differently?

…Right. That was true. Their goals were compatible, so if they had just talked things out…

"Anyway," Claude said. "If she still plans to do that… Well." He looked at me and said, "Similar to my friend or not, we'll be at opposite ends, Boss." His eyes turned frosty. "While it may not be the future that my friend wanted to see, the time I came from was bright and filled with promise. I won't allow this time to reach a future worse than what we created together. On the other hand, if you're really working towards a brighter future, one where none of us has to fight against each other… Well, for what little it's worth, you have my word that I won't betray you." He smiled and said, "An eye for an eye, I always say. You do right by me and I'll do right by you."

I stared at Claude. Despite his cold words… he didn't look like he was lying. And I didn't sense any falsehood in his voice or demeanor.

"In that case," I said. "I'll be straight with you."

"Considering you proposed to Edelgard, I'd be surprised if you weren't."

I glared at him.

Claude held up his hands. "Fine, fine. No jokes. Got it." He nodded and said, "Serious mode."

I sighed, shaking my head at his antics. Still, it did help ease up the mood, so I couldn't fault it. "I need your help. A proper cooperation and not just non-interference."

Claude's eyes widened. "Wait, you serious?"

I nodded. "At first, I thought I could settle everything myself…"

After all, foresight, magical theories, and other trump cards promised an easy time fixing things. Unfortunately, promises could be broken… as I learned the hard way.

I shook my head and said, "But as you well know, things are completely out of hand now."

Claude raised an eyebrow. "Understatement of the century- no, millennium there, Boss. With your 'sister' and proposal, it'd be weird if things _weren't_ getting out of hand."

"True… but that's what I wanted to talk about. An exchange of information. Some things are different, obviously, but there should be commonalities between our times, right? We need to use that to nail down the main points that should be prepared for… the concrete details."

Claude placed his right hand on his chin and frowned. "Hm… well if we're talking about things that are different, do you know where the molehill is?"

I froze and then carefully said, "It should be in Goneril territory… right?"

Claude froze as well and then let out a dry laugh. "So it was supposed to be the same, huh? That's… Well, damn."

I felt a headache starting. "Don't tell me it wasn't there."

"Sorry to be the bringer of bad news, Boss… but it wasn't." He frowned and said, "Just what kind of messed up timeline did I end up in?"

I groaned. "I wish I knew. This is different from what should be happening too…"

Was it my fault? No, things were already a bit off the moment I arrived… like how Rhea and Seteth's uniforms were a different color. The arrangement of buildings, and then the facilities…

I felt like I was missing something- No, that something or someone else was at play…

"Come on, Boss! Look on the bright side!"

I frowned. "What bright side?"

"The moles won't be moving for a while now that they showed their faces. Even though they're pretty dangerous, they're still forced to hide. With everything going on, it'll take some time to regroup and refuel… not to mention they're probably busy trying to consolidate their power in the Kingdom and Empire."

That… was true, huh? Even if things had changed, they couldn't have drifted to the point where there was an army of Agarthans to use, right?

…Though the fact that so many attacked us was concerning, even if they were somehow manufacturing them through cloning or whatever, they'd taken a hefty blow.

Claude noticed me thinking and said, "See? So you shouldn't worry about it too much, Boss. I'd give it at least a month or two before they try anything again."

"Even so…"

Claude shook his head. "You should just focus on teaching, Boss. If you're anything like my friend, that's your strong point anyway, right? Leave the shady stuff to the professionals… like me."

I stared at Claude and slowly nodded. "I guess that's true. It's not like I'll have much time to do that anyway between the mountain of papers I'll have to grade."

Claude laughed. "Try being a king then. My friend always complained about his hand aching from all the writing."

I froze, suddenly realizing the future that awaited me when everything went well… namely being either the next Archbishop or whatever title Delly planned to give me when she ascended the throne.

"…I guess I should get good at that, huh?"

Claude seriously nodded. "If you plan on staying in power, I definitely would get a start on that."

I sighed.

"Anyway… before I forget. Here." Claude held out his hand.

I stared at it for a bit before grabbing it. After that, I looked Claude in the eye and said, "I'm going out on a limb here, Claude, so don't let me down. And I swear to god, if you're actually the Flame Emperor and things go to hell, I'm going to personally burn Almyra down to the ground."

"Geez, talk about paranoid… though I can't blame you. Instead… I'll say the same thing back at you." His eyes narrowed. "If _you're_ the Flame Emperor and things go to hell… Well, as strong and skilled as Edelgard and Hubert may be, and as prepared as _you_ might be… I've gotten decades of practice at poisons, accidents, and other lovely skills. It'd be a shame to have to use them."

I glared at him.

He glared back.

After a while, we both relaxed and then shook each other's hand.

"To a bright new dawn," Claude said.

I nodded and said, "To a fruitful cooperation."

Claude let go of my hand and then placed both of his back behind his head. "I'll stop by every now and then to check in with you… maybe over tea?"

"Sounds good. I'll invite you if something comes up."

"Alright." He waved and said, "Later, Boss. Try not to let the ghosts get you on your way back."

"Heh." I shook my head and started walking towards my room.

And then I realized that my head was filled with even more thoughts now that I'd had the talk with Claude, completely defeating the purpose of why I went out to walk in the first place.

…Maybe I should actually give a serious go at trying to use Alchemy to make some coffee. God knows I'll need it at this rate…

* * *

I flipped through my notes, munching on a piece of toast I'd grabbed from the dining hall when it opened.

Sadly, the attempts at making coffee were fruitless. Apparently, it was too complex or I knew too little about it for me to black box it with my Alchemy. I knew how it tasted, smelled, and looked, both in bean and liquid form, but it still wasn't enough.

I managed to get a pinch of some dubious white powder as a result, but considering its origins, I got rid of it instead of trying it. Just in case it was a pharmaceutical product with dangerous effects… or poison. Both were just as likely.

I took another bite of my toast and frowned.

After the long night, I had gone to the Black Eagles classroom when the sun rose, determined to make sure Seteth lacked any excuse to sack me. It was already clear that he wasn't above petty revenge… I didn't want to give him an excuse to turn that to actual revenge.

…Which meant my dear sister would probably have to make a sacrifice for the greater good and spend time with Flayn.

But that was for later. For now, I had to sort out my battle plan as a professor.

First off, lecture topics. That was already squared away. Combat principles, the art of deception, and deliberate practice.

…In other words, teaching them to teach themselves. A bit lazy and more like a coach than a professor… but better to double down on what I was good at then half-heartedly teach something I wasn't good at.

Either way, the primary goal for me and the students was to get good enough to certify for multiple novice classes or an advanced class by the end of the year. Lectures were secondary, only supplementary material.

That meant that this could work.

…I should probably read up on the all the classes and how they actually worked though. From what I knew, they were like titles or professions, but there was the weird thing about needing a magical seal…

The door opened, and someone walked inside. A moment later, a stern male voice called out. "I see that you are off to an early start, Professor."

Seteth walked in with a book under his left arm.

I glanced over and said, "Good morning to you too, Seteth."

He walked over to me and glanced at my notes. "It is good to see you showing due diligence. Perhaps we might have a proper professor for once in many years."

Was that sarcasm? It felt like sarcasm, but he was also being sincere…

I decided to treat it as sincere, less of a headache on my part in doing so, and sighed. "It's not like I have a choice with how packed the schedule is. Hanneman and Manuela didn't mention that part."

Seteth shrugged. "That is likely because it differs every years. And before you speak, I mean the order of events and not the time table. The school day has always gone from eight in the morning to five in the evening."

"…I wasn't going to say that."

Seteth smiled, clearly amused at my irritation. "In any case… I have come to give you something."

"Hm?"

Seteth placed the book on my podium.

I picked it up and examined it. The thing was a bound book with a black leather cover. Flipping through it, I saw pages filled with information about various students. Mostly mine.

I looked up at Seteth and said, "What's this?"

"Your main class roster," he said. "I had forgotten to give it to you earlier in all of the trouble." Seteth waved his hand and said, "It holds information about students, compiled to better aid you in guiding their studies as officers."

I nodded. That was definitely useful… and something that would have saved time earlier. I wouldn't have needed to pass out that questionnaire if I had the roster… though I suppose it helped me get familiar with everyone so I couldn't really complain.

"As customary, the roster contains mostly information about the students in your house, the Black Eagles, but there are additional pages for you to fill out information of any students that wish to join your core class. For example…" He took the book from me and flipped to near the end. "Miss Ordelia has already requested a transfer, so I have taken the liberty of adding her information into your roster."

I blinked. "Wait, Lysithea actually put in the request to transfer? I thought she was upset at me…"

Seteth shook his head. "Miss Ordelia was very insistent upon her request… and also muttered something about making it so you could not refuse her." He gave me a strange look. "…I hope that you are not planning to-"

"Stop. Whatever you're thinking, stop."

"…If you say so. But in any case… this should aid you in your role as a professor. Paired with your diligence, it would be hard for you to not be a model instructor… something I wish were true for your colleagues as well. Ah, barring your relationship concerns, of course."

I sighed. "You're not going to let that go, are you?"

Seteth stared at me and said, "I will do my best to avoid bothering you with this issue… but considering the excess paperwork and meetings it has caused me, I hope you do not mind too much when I become… exasperated and the issue slips out." He smiled, a thin line on his stern face, and said, "Even my vast patience has a limit. Clear?"

I quickly nodded. "Crystal."

"Good." Seteth returned to his usual stern face and said, "Then that will be all- Ah. One more thing. There will be a staff meeting the day after the mock battle to discuss the following month's mission." He frowned. "While Rhea has yet to return, I have received word that she should arrive back at the monastery around that time."

"She's fine, right?"

Seteth nodded. "Of course. However, she also implied that she would be having a long conversation with you when she returned. One involving your father as well as your dear sister. Ah, and Miss Hresvelg, of course." He walked over and placed a hand on my shoulder. "…I suggest you prepare yourself."

I sighed.

Seteth lowered his hand and turned around to leave. "I bid you a good day, Professor."

"You too, Seteth- Wait."

"Hm?" He turned around, stopping at the door.

"Where can I get some coffee?"

Seteth smiled. "Well, Professor… That depends upon your results in the mock battle. If the Black Eagles perform well… I may consider adding it as an employment benefit to your contract."

"…Wait. I have a contract?"

Seteth's smile turned into a smirk and then he turned around to leave.

"…Note to self. Don't piss off Seteth in the future."

Not only was the guy willing to resort to petty vengeance, but he was good at blindsiding you too.

…Probably came from having to deal with Rhea's BS through the years.

I shook my head and went back to flipping through my notes.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Woohoo! Fire Emblem Three Houses won Player's Choice and Best Strategy Game at the Game Awards!

...It also meant that my sleep schedule got wrecked since I stayed up watching it later than I usually did, hence this late update.

The plan was to get to the lesson part, but it looks like that'll be tomorrow.

Not much to say other than the life of a professor is suffering.

Hope the chapter was enjoyable and I'll see you tomorrow!

Thanks for reading and leaving your input. As always, I greatly appreciate it.


	62. A Guide for the Future

Time passed and my students slowly filtered in. However… was it because of the atmosphere I gave off, or because of recent events? Either way, they were surprisingly quiet as they walked in.

Caspar didn't shout, Dorothea didn't flirt with me, Ferdinand didn't declare his presence… the most I got out of everyone was a simple 'good morning' or 'hello'. Even Stella, my dear sister, dutifully sat down at her desk without a sarcastic quip.

I lowered my notes and raised an eyebrow, looking at my students.

Like always, Delly… no, Edelgard. Had to remember to keep that straight now that lessons were properly starting.

Edelgard sat in the front row of the desks to my right. However, with addition of Stella, the students had shuffled a bit in their seating arrangements.

Stella sat directly to Edelgard's right, propping up a journal and some pencils to write with. They were a matching set to the Adrestrian Princess's own writing supplies, making me wonder if Stella didn't bug my lovely fiancée to spare her some… or maybe they went on a shopping trip yesterday.

I wouldn't know, since I was buried under lesson preparations.

Hubert was on Edelgard's left, sitting with a palm-sized notebook. His probably blood-stained fountain pen was placed on the table with an inkwell off to the side.

In the row behind those three were Dorothea, Ferdinand, and Bernie… Bernadetta, in that order.

Dorothea looked tired, idly doodling in her notebook.

Ferdinand seemed happy to sit beside Dorothea, but he also seemed focused. His notebook was already open, and from what I could see, filled with summaries of the last lesson.

Bernadetta… well, like Dorothea, she was drawing. Unlike Dorothea though, Bernadetta's artistic skills were fairly developed. Developed, and being used to draw what looked like a dramatization of… me saving Edelgard?

I shook my head and then glanced over at my last students.

In the third row of desks, behind Dorothea, Ferdinand, and Bernadetta, were Linhardt, Caspar, and Petra.

Linhardt was completely laid out, seated at the furthest seat to my right. His notebook and pencils were on the table, but since he'd fallen asleep, they were being used as makeshift pillows… and not very good ones from the red marks forming on the guy's face.

Caspar was sitting in the middle, bobbing his knee up and down. He had his notebook on the table as well, and was spinning a pencil around in his right hand, weaving it in and out of his fingers.

I… wasn't quite sure if that was a nervous habit of his, or if he was taking even the downtime now to practice the principle of weaving around attacks that I mentioned to him. Knowing the guy, it could be either one.

As for Petra, she was flipping through her notes, carefully reading and rereading. Probably to make sure she didn't record something down incorrectly.

Despite everything though, they still didn't talk.

Confused, I raised an eyebrow and said, "What's got all of you so quiet today? Did someone die?"

I waited… but nobody responded.

I started to get worried and opened my mouth to talk, but then Edelgard spoke up.

"That's not it, my teacher. It is just… classes will properly begin today."

Dorothea sighed. "Don't remind me, Edie. No more free time… Ugh. And I never got to take Professor out to tea…"

Petra shook her head and said, "We are only having one year to reach an advanced class, Dorothea. There is not being time to waste."

"I know, Petra. I know." Dorothea sighed again.

Caspar groaned and then leaned back in his chair. "Man. I stayed up all night to finish that paper and now there are even _more_ lectures…" He looked at me and said, "You won't give us too much work, right, Prof?"

"…No promises."

While I'd love to do that… I felt like Seteth would hold that over me if I did. And I didn't want to have anything happen until Rhea got back, since she could have the final say and back me up.

…Unless she was mad at me. Which seemed likely from what Seteth told me…

Damn.

Ferdinand leaned on the table and said, "Despite the time table, a bit of structure in life helps, does it not? Moreover, lectures and lessons will help distract from matters. Am I right, Professor?"

Bernadetta sighed. "If by distract you mean not having any free time. I had _just_ gotten the inspiration to paint again too, and now I have to settle with drawing… Argh." She leaned her head on the table and muttered, "Why does this always happen to me?"

Ferdinand patted Bernadetta's back. "There, there, Bernadetta. I am sure that there will be some time for you to further your artistic expressions."

"…Thanks, Ferdie."

Ferdinand sighed. He looked like he wanted to correct her, but then shook his head and let it go. "You are welcome, Bernadetta."

Stella leaned her head on her right hand. She waved her left hand around and said, "Just get on with it already, dear brother of mine."

After seeing everyone's reaction, I blinked.

I… guess school was just universally despised. And apparently even worse than everything else going on.

"Well," I said. "Since you all seem so _eager_ to get started…"

Groans echoed in the classroom.

"…Pass up your assignments and we'll begin with questions that you have about your training." I glanced outside to judge the time and said, "We'll take… about an hour. During that time, feel free to come up and ask questions or talk things over with your classmates. When that is finished, we will go straight into lecture."

While everyone dug out their assignments, I decided to flip through the roster.

It was surprisingly thorough. Dates of birth, key events in each student's lives, age, relatives… and from the handwriting, it seemed to have been compiled by Seteth. There was even a small blurb about each student's general personality.

Seteth seemed to have a knack for the written word… all those years of doing paperwork for Rhea must have paid off.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of papers shuffling and footsteps. I looked up to see Edelgard walk over with a stack of papers… wait. That wasn't a stack. It was a book- no, a giant tome of papers!

I flinched, getting a sense of foreboding about the future.

Edelgard hid her smile and placed the small mountain on my desk. "Here you are, my teacher."

I shifted them over and cautiously flipped through it. A casual glance told me there were at least a hundred pages… and that was the loose leaf papers. There were a few bound notebooks as well… and a fully fleshed out leather tome. From Hubert, it seemed.

I carefully set the pile to the side so I didn't have to look at them and then glared at my students. "I said I wanted a thoughtful response, not a thesis."

Hubert smiled and flipped through a page in his book. "You should get used to it, Professor. I twill be a long year otherwise."

That bastard. He was the one making up a bulk of things.

I sighed. "It's a good thing I read fast…"

If I didn't… no, even though I did, this would still take hours to read, let alone grade… Maybe I should look into finding out how to stop time? No, knowing my luck, it'd come back to bite me in the butt sometime in the near future.

I sighed again and said, "Well, if any of you have questions… come up whenever. I'll just… be here. Reading through… these." I gestured towards the pile of papers.

After a moment of blank stares, I shook my head and flipped through the papers. I heard some chatter as I did, idle topics about what was going to be for lunch and the like, but considering my immediately shortened free time, I decided it was best to get ahead on my work while I could.

"Let's see…" I muttered.

I glanced at the top of the stack. The first paper there was from Caspar. It was… surprisingly thorough. Instead of writing though, he sketched out how to attack. He also pointed out ways to avoid them, drawing curves and dashes to show attack patterns.

For a paper, it was awful. The handwriting that was there was a mess and it was hard to figure out the flow of how to read it. However, in terms of comprehension, he seemed to have a good handle on things.

It was also less reading… so he got a pass.

Next up…

Footsteps, and someone approaching my desk again.

I glanced up to see Edelgard standing there.

"My teacher."

I nodded. "De- Edelgard. Did you have a question?"

She shook her head. "Not quite. I wanted to ask if you have prepared enough."

I sighed. "As best as I could. That's what I spent all of yesterday doing, so I hope it pays off… Ah. And sorry I couldn't check up on you. Thanks for keeping an eye on Stella for me though."

Edelgard smiled. "It was my pleasure to do so, my teacher. My- your sister was a great help in answering my questions?"

I blinked. "Questions? Her? …About what?"

Stella… Sothis was knowledgeable, but I didn't think she knew very much about my lecture material. Well, she could look it up, but it was one think to know about and another to actually comprehend the information.

"About you, of course."

I froze and then glanced at Stella.

Was she waiting for me to do so? My sister met my gaze and then grinned.

I sighed. "Right. Should have expected that."

It was a girl's slumber party. Of course they would have talked about boys… or in their case, me. Hopefully it was nothing too embarrassing… but I was too afraid to find out.

Maybe I should just let that slide…

Edelgard seemed to have sensed my displeasure since she giggled.

A bright and cheerful sound. Hearing that made me feel a little better, at least.

"On a more serious note," Edelgard said. "I did have a proper question, my teacher."

I nodded and said, "I'm all ears."

Edelgard paused to think and then said, "When one professor lectures many students, some will inevitably have trouble keeping up while others will get too far ahead in their studies." She stared at me and said, "I was wondering if you might know how this problem could be solved."

"Hm?"

That was an odd question. Was Edelgard concerned about some of the other students? I guess she really was student council president material… But people lagging behind and others going ahead, huh?

I frowned and held my chin with my right hand. "Well… everyone learns at their own pace, don't they? Still… hm. It's not good to go too slow since the ones who understand quick will get annoyed but it's not good to go too fast either since some might not get anything. But lectures need to be done either way…"

It was a problem that happened back on Earth as well, from what I remembered. There really wasn't a good solution to it in terms of the actual schooling, but the internet made it easy for people to find supplementary material for those who needed it or wanted to learn more.

Unfortunately, that wasn't present here since the internet wasn't a thing and the Church of Seiros was restricting information.

"…I suppose I could make some extra material? Maybe in-depth and practical applications for those who want it and alternative explanations for those who need more time. Giving some extra credit to those who help the ones lagging behind might work too…"

That was one incentive I remembered from taking classes. A person could volunteer to be designated note taker or help out and be offered extra credit as a reward.

Edelgard blinked and said, "Extra credit?"

I nodded. "Yeah. It would be like a bit of buffer room to skip some lectures or some-"

Linhardt immediately sat up and said, "I volunteer!"

"…thing."

I shook my head.

Edelgard laughed and said, "Well then. I suppose we can count on Linhardt to deal with that problem."

"I suppose." I shook my head and then said, "Does that answer your question?"

Edelgard nodded. "It did. And it's impressive that you could think of a solution so quickly… though whether it will _work_…"

"Hey." I frowned. "You asked for _a_ solution, not _the_ solution."

Edelgard smiled and said, "Whatever you say, my teacher."

…Thankfully there were other things I had to do, otherwise I would have been dazzled by her smile.

Edelgard headed back to her seat.

I waited for a bit to see if anybody else wanted to ask a question, but nobody was walking forward.

Maybe they were being considerate?

I shrugged and went back to reading the papers.

Caspar… passed. I wouldn't say with flying colors, but it was clear he thought about it and applied it as well.

Next was… Linhardt's. A brief paragraph succinctly summarizing everything I said… and then another making the counterpoint of magic invalidating most of it.

Hm. That was true… I learned that from personal experience after all. I guess that passed.

After that… well, Hubert's was going to be an all-nighter, so I skipped that.

Petra's-

The sound of footsteps and chatter echoed from outside the room.

I blinked and looked up.

When I did, I saw a crowd of students filtering in from outside. Students that I had never seen before… no, there were a few that I'd seen walking around but never did anything more than exchange greetings with. A casual hello.

What were they doing here?

A sigh echoed in my mind.

_Honestly… Have you forgotten? While you primarily teach the Black Eagles and its core students, there are more as well that will attend your lectures._

…Right. Seteth did mention something about there being part-time students… but this many?

The other side of the room that had been completely empty was now filled to the brim, all staring at me with eager eyes.

_Blame your appearance._

My appearance…?

Glancing at the crowd of extra students, I noticed that a good portion _were_ female… about three quarters from what I could see. The remaining were male and seemed more interested in Edelgard- no, in Stella than me. Though I noticed that a few of those were staring at me as well…

I bit back my sigh and did a head count.

One, two… ten… twenty students. In addition to the eight Black Eagles… and probably Lysithea later, that meant I had almost thirty students. Probably more if anybody else transferred over.

That… I didn't have to grade _all_ of their assignments, right?

_That depends. What would Seteth want you to do?_

…He would want me to grade everything as well as give proper assignments.

Damn.

While the extra students were settling in, I took the time to shuffle my papers and carefully review my notes.

It was one thing to teach a small class of eight where I could easily correct any slip ups, but a full class of thirty…

Was that why Delly asked the question? Did she know this situation was coming up?

No, I could think about that later. For now, I had to make sure that I got all of my key points down… as well as the syllabus and plan for the year.

Eventually, while I was frantically memorizing everything, the Goddess Tower bell chimed. Nine tolls, meaning it was 9AM. Time for lectures to begin.

I set my notes down and looked up.

At that time, Edelgard stood and said, "Everyone rise to greet the Professor!"

The sounds of chairs screeching and people standing up echoed.

Edelgard glanced around and then said, "On three! One, two, three… Good morning, Professor!"

"GOOD MORNING PROFESSOR!"

A loud chorus of voices echoed Edelgard, and then everyone bowed.

I blinked and had to physically resist the urge to step back.

There was a weird pressure coming from the sight of thirty people bowing in respect towards me. A sort of trepidation, hesitation, and doubt.

Those people… they were trusting me to teach them well enough to graduate and move to a brighter future. Some might be lacking, others might be brilliant, but all of them were counting on me.

That pressure… it was different from leading a battalion of mercenaries. It was different from facing death and pain as well.

In those regards, I was confident in my abilities. Let alone the Divine Pulse if all else failed, I could probably pull something out to make things work. Might die in the process, but I had a few ideas if all else failed.

But this… in battles, I didn't have to live with my mistakes. People died, or I died. If I messed up there, it was over.

Yet in teaching… if I messed up, I would have to live with the fact that their lives were ruined because of me. That I didn't adequately prepare them.

Did Edelgard sense my tension? She raised her body and looked at me, giving a reassuring and warm smile.

Seeing that, the tension faded. Only a little, but enough to be manageable.

Edelgard nodded and then said, "Everyone, sit down."

The students followed Edelgard's words and then took their seats, eagerly awaiting my words.

Edelgard looked at me and then said, "You can begin, Professor." After that, she took her seat as well.

Almost thirty people stared at me, waiting for me to start speaking. But not just any random people, my students. People… mostly kids who were relying on me to guide them for the year. To teach them enough to not die in battle, enough to cut out a path for themselves, enough to head towards a brighter tomorrow.

…Maybe I had been taking the role of a professor too lightly. Before, with the main Black Eagle students, I was just being a tutor. This, though…

I'd done speeches in front of bigger crowds in the past, but those were one and done. I'd never have to meet anyone in that group again. Not only that, but it was just to impart information. Whether they digested it or not didn't matter.

This, though…

And there was that pressure again.

Time ticked by, seemingly stretching forever.

And then I remembered my Dad's words.

Idle thoughts had no place on a battlefield… and this was no different. No… it was. Rather than the present, this was a battle for the distant future.

I calmed down and nodded. "If everyone's settled then, I'll start today's lecture with the general lesson plans for the year…"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Between IRL things and writing, my fingers and wrists started to hurt, so I took a break for a bit to make sure I didn't start developing carpal tunnel or anything. In the meantime, I did some drawing and drew Delly. Since FFN doesn't allow links or images, you'll need to remove the spaces in the following link and put a dot after imgur, but it should work.

imgur com/ JOoxfRI

Also, it seems that being in a place where everyone's sick means that you're likely to get sick too. My throat's been kind of sore. I managed to get this done, but if there isn't another update for another few days, know that I'm probably laid out in bed with a fever or something.

Not much else to say, I think.

Byleth is realizing the pressure of actually being in charge of students, as well as learning that he is lecturing more than just Edelgard and the others. He _could_ be a douchy professor and not care, but he's too nice for that it seems... the problems of being responsible.

We might skip to the mock battle next chapter. I'll see how it goes when I get into writing it.

Hope the chapter was enjoyable!

Thanks for reading and leaving your input... and stay healthy. Being sick sucks.


	63. Life At Garreg Mach Monastery

The bell chimed. Noon, the end of lectures.

I set down the piece of chalk I was using as a pointer and turned to face my students. "That will cover the end of today's lectures. There are no assignments today, but there will be a quiz on the lecture material at the end of the week after the mock battle. As a result, I hope that you take careful notes and seek out aid if you lack understanding."

When I finished talking, Edelgard stood up. She glanced back and said, "Everyone, rise to thank the professor!"

There was a chorus of chairs moving and papers shuffling before all the students stood up.

"On three," Edelgard said. "One, two, three… Thank you Professor!"

"THANK YOU PROFESSOR!"

Edelgard nodded and said, "Dismissed!"

With her words, most of the students began packing up to leave. The crowd of extra students I had filtered out through the door, leaving in pairs and groups.

There were still people in the room, but the ones remaining were the faces I had gotten used to in these past few days… or rather the students that I knew the best.

The core students of the Black Eagles lagged behind, as if waiting for me.

I walked back to my podium and stacked my notes together before muttering, "What a mess."

Somehow, I managed to get through it. There was a big hiccup with the fact that I wasn't expecting to teach more than just the core group of the Black Eagles, so the lessons I had in mind were meant to continue from where I last left off. Thankfully, I managed to improvise and do a quick summary to transition over.

"You did a great job, my teacher." Edelgard walked over and smiled.

I shook my head. "It's only the start. This… is going to be a long year."

Ferdinand walked over and said, "Perhaps. However, I agree with Edelgard in her assessment. I must admit that I was somewhat concerned of your ability to teach so many at once, but you did an admirable job in explaining the concepts."

"No… It could have been better. Not everyone was engaged in my lectures."

I noticed the blank stares and distracted looks some students tried to hide. Others were clearly just there to idle away their time… it was similar to universities in college. Even so, I felt directly responsible for it.

Was this always how teachers felt? If so, I wanted out… or so I would say, but it was too late now. And considering the fact that Jeritza was the only other candidate for being the house professor, I couldn't just quit. Not unless I wanted to leave their education to the guy whose best talent was to cut people down.

I at least had a bit of teaching knowledge…

Edelgard laughed.

I frowned and stared at her. "What's so funny?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing, my teacher. Just… I never expected you to be so serious about teaching."

"You're the one who asked me that question. Don't tell me you thought I wasn't going to do my best at teaching."

Edelgard smiled and then said, "Well then… shall we go?"

I blinked. "Go? Where?"

Stella walked over and said, "To lunch, you idiot. Or were you planning to skip a meal yet again?"

I glanced at the mountain of papers I had to grade. "…Of course not."

Stella rolled her eyes and grabbed my left arm. "Come now. You can concern yourself with those papers later. For now, it is essential to fuel your body with the proper nutrients."

"Your sister is right, my teacher." Edelgard walked to my right side and took my hand. "And it would deeply hurt me if you would collapse due to stress and your work. You would not do that to me, would you?" She glanced at me, her violet eyes peering up into my own.

I sighed. "Stella. When did you teach Edelgard the look?"

My sister looked away. "I have no idea what you mean, Byleth."

Before I could make up an excuse to leave, my students quickly closed in on us, boxing me in.

Hubert and Ferdinand walked up in front, serving as the vanguard.

Dorothea moved to Edelgard's side while Caspar took up position next to Stella's left.

Finally, Linhardt, Bernie, and Petra took care of the rear.

Like that, our little group began heading towards the dining hall.

I followed along with it, slightly amused, and said, "Are you guys that afraid that I won't eat anything?"

Hubert glanced back and said, "The fact that the thought crossed your mind shows your true intentions, Professor."

I frowned. "…Fine. I admit that I thought about skipping lunch… but have you seen my work load? Forget a knife in the back or a sword to the neck, it's starting to look like my impending demise will be death by paperwork…"

Caspar laughed from the back and said, "I don't envy you, Prof! It's a good thing that all we have to do is train and do assignments."

I glanced back at him and said, "I could always use a teacher's aide…"

His eyes widened and he immediately averted his gaze.

Linhardt yawned and said, "Does being your aide mean I get to skip lectures?"

I paused.

Dorothea frowned and said, "Don't encourage him, Professor! And Lin, you need to stop falling asleep during class!"

"I can't help it." Linhardt yawned again and said, "Too many interesting projects to work on."

"Even so…"

Ferdinand turned back and said, "To answer your initial question, Professor, while it is true that we were all concerned about your tendency to forget your own health, this is in fact to show our solidarity. Though we are not the only students in the Black Eagles house, as you are now well aware, we are still the Officers, those meant to lead."

I nodded. "That makes sense…"

"Also," Ferdinand said. "With Edelgard's current situation, this is a good way to prevent any untoward advances or questioning."

Dorothea nodded. "What Ferdie said. Also, I've got a feeling you and Stella would get swarmed pretty quickly if you were by yourselves, you know?"

"Yeah!" Caspar chimed in and said, "I've already had to punch a few guys who were getting too close to Stella!"

I narrowed my eyes and glanced back. "Anyone I know?"

Stella sighed. "Honestly, you should mind your own business, dear brother of mine." She pouted and said, "I can handle myself quite well, thank you very much."

I ignored her and stared at Caspar.

He shrugged and said, "Don't think so. Just some uppity Cadets I think… no one in our class at least."

"Hm…" I glanced at Dorothea and said, "When you have the chance, mind teaching Stella how to break a few legs?"

The former idol blinked and then laughed. "Well, I never expected to hear that from you, Professor… but sure. We can make it a girl's night out again like last time. How's that sound, Stella?"

My sister sighed and said, "Since it would appear my dear brother is adamant about this… I suppose I would not mind. And assignments always do go faster with friends…"

"Ooh!" Bernie chimed in and said, "Can I join too? It's been a while since I've had a slumber party!"

Petra nodded. "I would be liking to participate as well!"

Dorothea laughed and said, "Sure! The more the merrier… though should we meet up at my room? It's a bit too close to other people though, and we might bother them…"

Bernie spoke up and said, "We can hang out in my room! I've got snacks, cakes, and a lot of board games! It's near the Professor's room too, so we can run over if anything happens!"

I blinked and glanced back. "Bernie. Your room's near mine?"

She nodded. "Yeah! I see you every morning!" She paused, her eyes widening. "Oh no… Y-You won't get mad at me, will you Professor? It's not like I'm stalking you or anything!"

Ferdinand shook his head. "You should relax, Bernadetta. I am sure that our Professor would not be upset over something like that. Right, Professor?"

I nodded. "Right. I was just curious. I never saw anyone else around, so I always assumed you all had dorms in the main building."

Petra said, "That is not being the case, Professor. My room is being near yours as well. Only a few down, if I am remembering correct."

"Huh. Good to know…"

I should probably make a note to find out everyone's rooms. Maybe ask Seteth about it later. It's probably information I'd need sooner or later if I was going to be forced to make and grade stuff.

"Phew." Bernie sighed and said, "I thought Bernie was going to have to lock herself up again."

I frowned. "On a side note, Bernie. Is there a reason you keep referring to yourself in the third person? Not that I mind, but-"

Someone cleared their throat. Hubert. The gloomy dark magic user turned around and said, "If you are all done with your inane chatter… We have arrived at the dining hall."

* * *

I stood in line carrying a metal tray. As I did, I let out a deep sigh. "Never thought I'd be doing this again…"

I thought that my days of waiting in school cafeterias for lunch were over, but it seemed like I was mistaken about that. It wasn't so bad on the weekend when most of the students hadn't arrived, but now…

Anyway, after entering the dining hall, a majority of my students scattered off to do their own things, blending into the bustling crowd of students already standing around.

As a result, my party of nine students dwindled down to just Hubert, Edelgard, and Stella.

Hubert was in the lead, followed by Stella and then Edelgard, with me in the back of our group. There were some other students around as well, but maybe due to the difference in status or just Hubert's gloomy atmosphere, there was a bit of space between us while we moved up the line.

Edelgard glanced back at me and said, "Again? Have you eaten like this before, Professor?"

"Yes." Hubert looked back and said, "From my understanding, you have never been to the academy, have you? By what exactly do you mean 'doing this again'?"

I blinked, realizing that I slipped up. "Waiting in line for food, I mean. It was already a pain lining up for stew in the mercenary troop, but this-"

"That is a lie, Professor." Hubert stared at me and then frowned. "…No. Not completely a lie, but a half-truth. Hm."

Edelgard sighed. "There is no need to point out all of our Professor's inconsistencies, Hubert."

He nodded. "I am aware, Lady Edelgard. However, if he is to eventually stand by your side in the Empire, he must become more aware of such things." He paused. "Though I suppose he could simply remain quiet…" He looked at me and said, "If not for your words, you would be completely inscrutable, Professor."

Stella laughed. "Indeed. My dear brother's greatest flaw would tend to be his acting without consideration of the consequences."

I narrowed my eyes. "And yours is that sharp tongue. You'll never find a proper husband at this rate, you know?"

"Hmph! As if there would even be any worth my time in this world."

"…Don't tell me you're planning on being a recluse in my house when you get older."

Stella stuck out her tongue at me.

"You-" I suddenly saw a bit of curly light green hair in the distance. Seeing that, I smirked and waved. "Flayn! Nice to see you!"

Stella's eyes widened and she said, "Do not-"

"Professor!" Flayn ran over, a bright smile on her face. "Ah, and… Miss Hresvelg is it? As well as… Hubbie?"

Edelgard smiled. "You can call me Edelgard, Flayn. And Hubbie, was it?" She looked to Hubert and said, "My, Hubert. I wasn't aware that you had set your mark on Seteth's little sister."

Flayn gasped and put her hands over her mouth. She bowed her head and said, "My apologies! I did not mean to misremember your name! Ooh, how embarrassing…" She flushed and lowered her gaze.

Hubert sighed. "It is fine, Miss Flayn. I have been called worse in my time." He glanced at me.

I smiled back.

"Even so," Flayn said. "You have my sincerest apologies! I will make it up to you in the future, surely!"

I glanced at Flayn and said, "Anyway, what are you doing here, Flayn? Just grabbing some lunch?"

"Oh!" She clapped her hands together and said, "I had wished to ask Stella to have lunch with me!" Flayn turned towards my sister and said, "Would you kindly? Our last meal was ever so delightful! I greatly enjoyed talking with you, and would very appreciate if you would deign to do so once more!"

We arrived at the serving area, with Flayn walking alongside us.

Lunch today seemed to be Garreg Mach Meat Pie. As for the meat… I wasn't sure, but it smelled good. Savory, like pot roast, but with the scent of freshly baked bread from the crispy crust.

…And it seemed like one serving per person was a whole pie. It looked like they really wanted the students to eat their fill, huh?

Stella grabbed a pie, loading it onto her tray beside some silverware, and then turned towards Flayn. After that, she glanced towards me.

Flayn saw that and said, "Oh! Of course!" She looked to me and said, "Would you allow Stella to come eat with me, Professor? I assure you we will not go far. I have reserved a table by the window over there in plain sight. I assure you that nothing will go wrong!"

_Do not dare agree! I have already spent enough time-_

"I trust you, Flayn. Besides…" I glanced at Stella and said, "My sister could use a friend near her own age.

_…I will get you back for this._

Oh come on. You can't tell me that you don't enjoy hanging around your granddaughter… aunt… person? Hm. The family tree is a bit complicated now, huh?

"Wonderful!" Flayn smiled and clasped her hands together. "Then, Stella. Shall we go?"

Stella plastered a smile on her face and said, "Of course, Flayn. Let us be off and talk about… delightful things. Like fish. And cats. And stories."

"Ah! Speaking of stories, I have just the thing that you might be interested in! My brother recently procured an ancient story book, and I believe you would quite like it! From what he tells me, it is of a young plainswoman who found a young man unconscious upon the fields…"

Flayn's voice faded away beneath the murmur of the dining hall as she walked away with Stella.

Still, what Flayn said sounded vaguely familiar…

Edelgard called out to me. "Professor? Shall we find a place to sit?"

I blinked and realized that she and Hubert had already gotten their food.

I quickly grabbed a pie, placing it next to my silverware, and nodded. "Let's-"

"Byleth! Ah, I mean… Professor!" A polite male voice called out.

I glanced over to see Dimitri walking towards us.

He looked at Edelgard and said, "El! And Hubert as well, I see. I do not mean to impose, but I was wondering if you would you care to join me for lunch?"

Hubert shook his head. "I am fine, your Highness. There are certain matters that I must tend to." He glanced at me and said, "I leave Lady Edelgard in your hands, Professor." He nodded his head and then walked away… and out of the dining hall?

Could you even do that? I mean, I guess there weren't really any rules saying you _had_ to eat lunch here… and I suppose no one would really risk telling Hubert of all people to obey the rules…

Edelgard nodded. "I suppose it would be nice to share a meal with you… It has been quite some time, after all."

Dimitri smiled. "Wonderful! Then, if you would follow me…"

I laughed. "What? Do I not get a say in this?"

Dimitri paused. "…Ah. Did you not want to eat with us, Professor?"

Edelgard frowned and stared at me. "Do not tell me that you are planning to sneak off and grade papers."

I raised an eyebrow. "You're being awfully assertive today, Edelgard. What happened to the meek and lovely girl I adored?"

She flushed and poked me. "E-Enough of that!"

Dimitri shook his head and said, "Well, if you two are done flirting-"

"I'm not flirting."

"We are not flirting!"

Edelgard stared at me and huffed.

Dimitri smiled and said, "I would ask you to follow me to my table."

* * *

The Prince of Faerghus led us to a table in the direct center of the dining hall. Yet, in spite of its location, the place was vacant of students everywhere within a three table radius.

For a split second, I wondered why that was. Did Dimitri arrange for that to happen?

And then I saw Dedue sitting there and I realized why that was.

Dimitri walked over and said, "Thank you for keeping our place, Dedue."

The Man of Duscur smiled and said, "It is my honor, Your Majesty. Now, if you would excuse me, I promised Ashe that we would discuss recipes today over lunch."

"Ah, of course you are, Dedue!" Dimitri waved him off and said, "I can handle things from here. Thank you again, my friend."

Dedue smiled and stood up. "Then I will be off." He looked towards me and Edelgard and said, "Enjoy your meals, Lady Edelgard. Professor." With a nod, the Man of Duscur left.

I glanced at Dimitri and said, "Did you have something you wanted to talk about in private?"

Dimitri sat down at the table, pulling over his tray of food, and said, "Nothing of the sort. I merely wanted to enjoy a proper meal with my remaining family... and my new one." He gave me a pointed look.

I put my tray down on the table and took the seat across from Dimitri. "So you heard, huh?"

Dimitri cut a piece of his pie and said, "It would be hard not to from the rumors abounding the monastery. Though, it would appear that you are not the only likely candidate for my dear sister's mystery fiancé."

Edelgard took a seat next to me and said, "Quite. From what I've heard… there were rumors of you proposing to me as well, Dima." She raised an eyebrow and said, "I suspect you had a hand in this?"

Dimitri took a bite from his pie and then said, "Well, after our talk the other night, El, I thought some interference might be useful." He smiled and said, "Misunderstandings… while occasionally leading to tragedy, do have their uses. Do they not?"

"I suppose." Edelgard picked off a bit of the crust from her pie and chewed on it. "Unnecessary… But I appreciate it, Dima."

Dimitri's smile widened.

I glanced between the two of them and shook my head. "No wonder people ship you two…"

"Hm?" Dimitri looked at me and said, "Ship? El and I?"

Edelgard frowned. "Yes… What exactly do you mean, Professor?"

I cut off a piece from my pie and shook my head. "Don't mind me. Just musing to myself to try and delay the inevitable moment when reality comes crashing in and I remember that I'm responsible for the future of over thirty students. No pressure."

Dimitri laughed. "I see." He glanced towards Edelgard and said, "I presume most of the cadets went to the Black Eagles?"

Edelgard sighed. "Regrettably. I had been hoping against that case such that the work load of my beloved… Ah, my beloved teacher, I mean, would not be too great."

"Careful with your words there, Edelgard," I said. "But wait." I looked at Dimitri and said, "What do you mean 'most' of the Cadets? Are you telling me that my class has the bulk of the students this year?"

Dimitri nodded. "You mentioned over thirty students, correct?"

"That's right."

"Well," Dimitri said. "Class sizes are usually around twenty students per house, consisting of eight Officers and a dozen or so Cadets. The core members would be those like myself, Edelgard, and our peers that you met in the first few days at the monastery. The rest are those that arrived today."

I paused and ran some quick math in my head.

Eight officers, a dozen cadets…

I had eight… nine officers in my class at the moment and about twenty cadets.

Wait.

If there were twenty in each house…

My eyes widened. "Don't I have over half the student body in my class?!"

Dimitri nodded. "It would appear so. And from what I heard, the rest are in the Golden Deer."

Edelgard raised an eyebrow. "You have no cadets in the Blue Lions?"

Dimitri shrugged. "Between Professor Manuela, Professor Hanneman, and Byleth here, is it any wonder that was how things turned out?"

"Wait." I frowned and said, "I get Manuela drawing some students and Hanneman pushing them away… but why is everyone in _my_ class?"

Dimitri blinked and held up three fingers.

"…Three?"

He nodded. "Three reasons. You, El, and Stella." Dimitri lowered his hand and said, "Between Edelgard's mystery fiancé, your mysterious past, and your adorable sister, you still wonder why you pulled a majority of the Cadets?"

I groaned and ran my hands through my hair. "…I'm going on strike. This is way too much work… no, how the heck was a ridiculous situation like this even approved-"

I stopped and remembered the load of paperwork Seteth had to deal with now that I proposed to Delly. A load of paperwork on top of what Rhea already left him. "Hah. This is my fault, huh?"

Seteth really was fond of petty revenge, wasn't he?

"In any case," Dimitri said. "Let us eat. The food will grow cold if we continue to talk like this."

I sighed. "You've got a point." I took a bite from my pie, this time actually savoring it. After all, it would probably be the only source of enjoyment I had all day until dinner…

Hm. Savory, with only a bit of salt. The crust was nice and crispy though. Flaky with that light starchy taste.

Edelgard took a bite from her pie as well and smiled.

Dimitri noticed and said, "You seem happy, El."

Edelgard nodded and said, "When I think of the past, it makes me grateful for things like this. Having a nice, relaxing meal…"

"And spending time with Byleth?"

"Of course." Edelgard immediately responded. A wistful look settled on her face and she twirled her fork in her hands. "Were it that I could spend every day with him like this…"

I flushed and quickly took another bite from my pie.

Dimitri grinned and said, "Well. It seems that I may have to put in some effort in my misdirection. If you continue acting like that, Professor, suspicion may quickly become fact."

"Hm?" Edelgard looked over. When she saw my face, a smile crossed her own and she said, "Professor… are you blushing again?"

"Aaand I'm done." I stood up, carrying my tray with me.

"Come now, Byleth!" Dimitri waved me down and said, "Sit a while with us! It was only said in jest… There is no need to be so upset."

"I know… but I also really should get going." I frowned and said, "Because of a certain green-haired person's petty revenge, unless you two want me to die a death of paperwork, I need to make some emergency revisions to my lesson plans." I shook my head and said, "There's no way I can grade thirty papers in a week and still teach everything… not to mention that combat training and drills are coming up soon."

"Ah." Edelgard frowned. "I suppose that is true…"

Dimitri nodded. "Then… I will do my best to keep my dear sister company in your absence, Professor. Best of luck to you in your quest."

I scoffed. "Quest, right…" I shook my head and walked off.

Behind me, I heard Edelgard talk.

"So… shall we throw some fire onto the rumor mill, Dima?"

"Whatever you require of me, El, you have it."

"Very well. Now, if you could just take my left hand and carefully examine my ring… Ah, lean forward a bit. Tilt your head… yes, like that."

As I walked away, I wondered.

…Should I be concerned about how skilled Delly was at acting and fueling the rumor mill?

* * *

An open field off the side of the mountain. It was the training area for the Knights of Seiros… ordinarily. At the moment, however, some other poor unfortunate souls were suffering there instead.

I stared at the Black Eagles running various drills across the training area and said, "You know, I'm really glad that you're here to help me out with this, Dad. Gotta say, I'd be a wreck if you weren't."

A voice cried out, weak and raspy. "Water… Someone give me water…!"

…It wasn't one that I was really familiar with though, so I ignored it and looked to the person standing beside me, overlooking the field.

My dad… no, Jeralt Reus Eisner, de facto Captain of the Knights of Seiros and the infamous 'Back-Breaking Drill Sergeant', nodded his head and clapped his hand on my shoulder. He looked to me and smiled, saying, "Glad I could be of help, Kid. Though… you sure you wanted me to be in charge of drills and formations? I can whip them into shape, but… well, you know my methods are a bit unorthodox."

I remembered how he gave me a hands-on lesson in anatomy and gave him a blank look. "I'm well aware, Dad."

He shrugged. "Just so you know."

From down below, more voices drifted up.

"Damn you… Professor Eisner…!"

"I should have… chosen… the Golden Deer…!"

"I won't give up… Not here… Not in this place… I'll keep going, even if I have to crawl…"

I pointedly ignored the words that sounded like death cries coming from the ones being run through the ringer by Clark and Diane.

My dad looked at me and said, "Anyway… How's that paperwork coming along, Kid? You manage to get some time to file the marriage certificate yet?"

I blinked. "The what?"

"Come on, Kid!" My dad shook his head and said, "Don't tell me you forgot to do that? With Seteth being so busy and Rhea gone, this is the perfect chance to slip it in before anyone can notice!"

I frowned. "And I'd want to do that because…?"

"Hey. Future emperor or not, if the marriage was approved by the Archbishop herself… or the acting Archbishop in this case, then nobody can say anything." My dad placed his hand back on my shoulder and said, "If there's anything I learned in my hund- er, decades being alive, it's that people will even believe the sky is green if Rhea says it enough times."

My frown deepened. "…There are many, _many_ things wrong with what you said, Dad. But you do have a point…"

It probably wasn't the best course of action, but it was a valid one to take…

"Also, Rhea won't be able to say anything against it when she finds out. That's what I did to marry your mother, anyway." My dad smirked. "Heh, the look on Rhea's face when she found out that she was going to be my mother-in-law because she accidently stamped a paper I gave her when she was sleepy…"

I gave him a blank stare. "Don't tell me _that's _why you ran away?"

My dad bopped me on my head and said, "Don't get snippy with me, Kid. I'm the one volunteering my precious time here to whip your students into shape."

"You're also the one who said to delegate… and what precious time? You're not even in charge of doing anything more than patrol right now until Rhea gets back."

My dad lowered his hand and frowned. "Hey, even an old guy like your dad wants some alone time. It's not like there's any woman out here that I can-"

"Aaand that's officially too much information."

"Heh. Guess you're still just a kid if that bothers you."

"Says the one who makes corny and lewd jokes when in private company."

"That's just being a dad, Kid. You'll get it when you're my age."

"Three hundred and some change years old?"

"…Well, there's no mistaking that you're Iris's kid with that sharp tongue of yours…"

I shook my head and stared out at the field again, homing in on my main students, the eight… well, nine including Stella, that were the core members of the Black Eagles.

It seemed like they were running laps at the moment to build endurance.

Caspar jogged, hopping up and down with barely concealed energy. "Whoo! Ten more!" He glanced at the purple-haired girl beside him and said, "Let's go, Bernie!"

"Urk…" Bernie paled, sweat completely drenching her clothes, and said, "Can't we… take a break?"

Dorothea jogged up beside her, not a single sweat on the former idol's body, and said, "Come on, Bernie! Since you like sweets so much, you're going to have to work hard to keep your figure. Look at Edie and Stella!" She pointed in front of her, to the two students leading the group.

My dear sister was sprinting, but doing so in a way that made it look like she was just out for a stroll. Her breath was steady and she wasn't even breathing deeply.

It was enough to make me briefly consider trying to make a new body for myself too if the Crests of Seiros and Flames made for such an obnoxiously broken combination.

But only briefly.

Anyway, Edelgard was running beside Stella. Surprisingly, she was fine as well. It seemed like the ring I gave her was managing to keep everything in check, at least enough for simple things like this.

…Though seeing how easily she ran beside Stella made me envious.

I shifted my gaze towards my remaining students.

Tailing the group were Hubert, Petra, Ferdinand, and Linhardt.

Petra and Ferdinand were easily keeping pace, but it seemed like the two magic users were having some difficulty. Thus, being nice, it seemed like Petra and Ferdinand were lagging behind to show some solidarity.

Nice of them.

Probably not smart, considering that I saw Diane swiftly running up from behind, but nice.

I decided to look away from the imminent carnage and picked up my pile of papers.

"Hm?" My dad glanced down and said, "Trying to get a head start on those?"

I nodded. "Clark and Diane have everything squared away here… not to mention you watching it all."

"Heh. Leaving it up to me again, eh Kid? Well, can't say I blame you since I raised you up that way." He shrugged and ruffled my hair. "Go on and work on those papers. I'll make sure to keep an eye on things here."

I nodded and then picked up the first stack of papers I could reach.

Dorothea's, from the look of it.

Hm. Well, I suppose you could apply close combat principles like that to disarm someone. A straight line towards the shins, a circle to grab and break the arms, and a curve to crush the groins… A bit gruesome and excessive, but it worked.

Also, note to self. When Dorothea mentions a rose having thorns, she neglects to mention that said thorns are made of unyielding steel and already covered in blood.

* * *

Dinnertime.

After the grueling training session that I'd offloaded to my dad, Clark, and Diane, me and my precious students were gathered together around a table to share our evening meal, a bowl of Daphnel Stew with some freshly baked bread.

And by precious students, I of course meant Edelgard and the others. Not the extras that showed up unannounced to my class and shackled me with responsibility.

…No I wasn't bitter about that. Nope. Not at all.

On one side of the table sat Bernie, Stella, me, Edelgard, and Dorothea, all in that order.

Across from us sat Linhardt, Ferdinand, Hubert, Petra, and Caspar, with Linhardt sitting across from Bernie.

"Argh. My legs are killing me…" Dorothea massaged her thighs and frowned.

Bernie groaned and brought a trembling spoon filled with stew up to her mouth. After carefully taking a bite, she swallowed and said, "Don't remind me. Bernie thought she was going to die out there…" She glared at me and said, "You evil, evil man! Why did you leave us with those two demons?"

I shrugged. "I'm not qualified to teach you guys how to fight with battalions. Clark and Diane have plenty of expertise in that regard… as well as physical conditioning."

Granted, I could probably find some magical supplements and use Alchemy to create a bunch… but I had a feeling I'd be put under some heavy scrutiny if I did.

Maybe after the new year…

Ferdinand rolled his shoulder and winced. "Well, I cannot deny that those two are quite the effective instructors…" He looked to Hubert and said, "What say you, Hubert?"

"Hmph. They are… passable."

Edelgard shook her head. "Coming from you, that's high praise, Hubert."

Petra spoke up. "I am being impressed with the training instructors that Professor invited. But I am also having confusion." She looked to me and said, "Will you not be teaching us combat now? I was looking ahead to- ah, looking forward to your teachings."

Caspar looked towards me and said, "Yeah, Prof! Your friends are great and all, but I really wanted to get into it sparring with you! I've got all these ideas I want to try out!"

Linhardt groaned. "Quiet, Caspar. You're being too loud." He shifted his head over and covered his ears.

Dorothea sighed. "At least eat something first, Lin. You don't want to end up pale and pasty like Hubie over there, do you?"

Hubert sighed. "That's rude of you, Dorothea."

She raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it true?"

"I will have you know that I eat plenty." Hubert smiled and said, "It takes a great deal of sustenance to fuel my body so that I can effectively act in Lady Edelgard's best interests."

Dorothea stared at Hubert and then said, "Do you try to play up the vampire act, Hubie or is that just natural to you?"

"I have no idea what you mean." He smirked.

Bernie tensed and pulled her hood up, hiding her neck. "Bernie's blood isn't good! Don't bite me!"

Hubert's smirk faded and he shook his head. "It was said in jest, Bernadetta. I am no vampire nor ghost… nor grim reaper, as you might believe."

"R-Right." Bernie slowly lowered her hood and said, "Sorry. Force of habit…" She paused and said, "Maybe I really should lay back on the sugar…"

I shook my head, letting my students banter while I finished up my food.

Edelgard noticed my silence and said, "Copper for your thoughts, my teacher?"

"No need. You're already living among them rent free."

It took a bit for Edelgard to realize what I said and then she poked me and flushed. "Stop that! You'll give things away!"

I raised an eyebrow and said, "Right. And you think that having Dimitri lovingly caress your neck to whisper into your ear is worse than you blushing?"

"My." She crossed her arms under her chest and leaned towards me. "Are you jealous, my love?"

I frowned. "Hey. That's not fair."

Stella rolled her eyes and jabbed me in my ribs. "Just eat already. Unlike us, you have no time to waste. Or have you forgotten the mountain of paperwork awaiting you in our room?"

I froze and then sighed. "You're right." I quickly finished my stew and stood up.

Caspar noticed and said, "Leaving already, Prof?"

I nodded. "I wish I could stay with you guys like we've been these past few days… but I have to be a responsible adult now and do paperwork."

Bernie's eyes widened. "B-Being a responsible adult means you have to do paperwork!?"

Ferdinand nodded. "Of course, Bernadetta. It is especially true for men and women in our stations. …Were you not aware?"

"Bernie doesn't want to do paperwork!" She groaned and said, "…Maybe I should elope. Wait, if I run away with someone, that means I don't have to deal with it, right?" She sat up, as if she had an epiphany, and then ran over to Caspar.

The blue haired young man flinched. "B-Bernie?"

She grabbed his hands and said, "Take me away, Caspar! Like when you kidnapped me to see the sunrise! If you do that, then I don't have to do paperwork!" She paused and said, "U-Um… I can write, cook, and fight too! Please say yes!"

"What?"

Petra frowned. "That is being rude of you, Bernadetta. I am… what is the saying? Calling dibs on Caspar."

Caspar blinked again. "…What?"

Dorothea laughed and covered her mouth. "Looks like 'big bro' really is growing up. A proposal and then a young maiden staking her claim… my, how fast they grow up."

"Wait, hold on! I'm confused. What's going on here?!" He looked to me and said, "Prof! Help me out!"

I stared at him. Then I saw Bernadetta's desperate eyes and Petra's fierce determination and decided it wasn't worth my time.

"…Good night everyone. I'll see you around eight tomorrow morning."

"Prof!"

Edelgard laughed and said, "Good night, my teacher. Do not stay up too late."

Stella nodded and said, "What your princess said. Ah, and worry not about myself. I will be sure to take the proper countermeasures."

I was a bit worried about what she meant by 'countermeasures'… but so long as she was being careful. I waved and then walked out of the dining hall.

* * *

On seeing the giant pile of papers sitting on my desk, I decided it was best to relocate. There wasn't enough room for me to lay everything out, let alone organize things.

As a result, I took the accursed pile of papers with me into the main building of the monastery towards the library. If I remembered right, that place should have decent lighting and some tables to lay things out…

After heading up the stairs and entering the library, I noticed that I wasn't the only one who had that idea.

Seteth sat on the edge of one of the long tables in the library, an array of maps, documents, letters, and other paperwork spread before him. He had a stamp and a quill with a bottle of ink within close reach while he quickly flipped through all the documents. There was also a thermos on the seat beside him, with a few cups laid out.

He looked up when he noticed me enter.

Our eyes met, and we didn't say anything.

After some time passed, Seteth poured a cup of coffee and placed it down on the long table behind him. That done, he nodded and went back to flipping through his paperwork.

It seemed that even petty revenge lost to the comfort of shared misery.

I sighed and took up my spot behind Seteth, settling in for a long night against my most troublesome foe yet.

* * *

Like that, time passed by in a blur and it was the day of the mock battle.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I hope everyone's doing well/did well with their finals if you have them and are making it safely back home if you're traveling. Also that you're not as sick as I feel.

I wasn't planning to update today, but I couldn't fall asleep. Various medications and all, as well as a slight fever kept me up, so we get this. It seems pretty good to my feverish mind, so I hope it's alright. If not, I hope it's at least enjoyable to read in how ridiculous it is.

The past few chapters covered the base of a standard school day for Byleth, so I think we'll be skipping most days now unless something important comes up. You can assume that he's just too swamped by paperwork otherwise to do anything important.

That's my head canon on why the week days pass by in a blur at least.

Thanks for reading and any input you might decide to leave. I really appreciate it.

That's all for now. I'll see you… well, the plan is Friday. I'd like to be able to get some sleep, but if I can't sleep again, then we might see each other sooner.


	64. Maddening Lunatics

Early morning, with the sun still low in the sky. The faint rays of the morning light glistened off the traces of dew still clinging to the stone arches and grass of the training ground.

I let out a deep breath and raised the iron sword I held in my right hand, facing off against my opponent. At the same time, I carefully watched his stance, looking for a single opening, a slight gap.

There were none.

In that case-

He moved, vanishing in a blur. The only sign I caught of my opponent was a faint yellow trail from his long blonde hair moving through the air.

Instincts flared and I swept my sword up to parry, cutting in a horizontal arc.

Steel clashed, but only briefly. Just as I managed to block the attack, Jeritza spun around, borrowing the momentum of my parry to lunge in for a thrust to my heart.

I stepped back, turning to my left, and narrowly avoided my imminent demise. Even so, the blade grazed my shirt, leaving a thin cut behind.

At the same time, there was an opening.

I swung my sword at Jeritza's exposed side-

Silver flashed.

My eyes widened and I quickly pulled my sword back to block. But it was too late.

I felt a brief resistance against my blade, and then it was gone, sent flying through the air.

Sensing imminent danger, I reflexively gathered mana and quickly retreated with a gust of wind.

The moment I did, Jeritza's sword cut through the air, leaving behind a groove in the ground from the sheer force of the blow. Realizing he missed, Jeritza looked up, madness in his eyes. His entire body tensed, as if he was going to pounce forward. But after a moment, he relaxed, a frown settling on his face.

Seeing that he calmed down, I relaxed as well. After that, I stared at my right hand… my empty right hand and muttered, "Not enough, huh?"

Jeritza sheathed his sword. After that, he picked up my discarded sword, holding it blade down, and walked forward. As he did, a dark light was in his eyes, dissatisfaction clear on his face. "You are holding back."

I rolled my right shoulder, still a bit numb from having my sword forcibly disarmed, and shook my head. "More like you're too skilled."

After a few days sparring with the guy, I was sure of it now.

If I judged my sword skill generously, I would put it at B or B+. Enough to overwhelm most students here and the average bandit or knight. But Jeritza… no, the Death Knight. He was a real master of the sword. At least S+.

I couldn't even begin to see how to face him properly. Even the few openings I saw were meaningless since I didn't have the ability to act on them.

Realizing that, I frowned. If I couldn't even scratch Jeritza, who was skilled but still human, then in the worst case of Nemesis being revived…

Jeritza stopped in front of me and held out my sword. When he did, he tilted his head and carefully looked at me, as if confused. "You… Why are you attempting to fight with different styles when you can fight more efficiently?"

I took my sword back and sheathed it at my side. When I did, I stared at Jeritza and said, "Why are you using a sword when the spear is your forte?"

He narrowed his eyes and then let out a cold laugh. "A pity that we are now on the same side. A fight to the death between us would have been ever so sweet…"

"I can get you chocolate instead?"

Jeritza paused and then said, "And yet your sugary treats are just as satisfying." He nodded. "Very well. The same time tomorrow, I presume?"

"That's right."

"…Then I will take my leave. And do not forget to send those treats, lest I-"

"Chase me down in the thick of night and drag my entrails across Garreg Mach. I got it, Jeritza."

"…So long as you understand."

With that, Jeritza left. Even so, a slim smile was on his face as he walked away.

As the fencing instructor left, Edelgard entered. She glanced briefly at Jeritza before looking at me, somewhat amused. "My. It's rare to see Jeritza smiling. Dare I ask what you two were doing here in the training grounds?"

I groaned. "You've been hanging out with my dad again, haven't you?"

Edelgard paused. "…I suppose his mannerisms have rubbed off on me a bit. Granted, it would be hard not to with his thinly veiled questions on when he could expect grandchildren…"

I coughed and averted my gaze.

Edelgard laughed and then leaned against a pillar near me. After that, she stared at me and said, "Well, my teacher. Are you ready? While I'm already aware of your worth as an instructor, this will be the first true display of your talents to everyone else."

I nodded. "We've all prepared as best as we can and I'm confident in all our skills… but I'm a bit worried about Dimitri and Claude. I've got a feeling the mock battle won't be quite as simple as we would expect it to be."

Mostly because of time travel shenanigans.

Edelgard frowned and then nodded. "You've noticed as well then, my teacher? That those two are-"

"Hey there!" A cheerful voice called out, followed by the sound of a pair of footsteps.

I glanced over to see Claude walking over, followed by Dimitri.

"Having a little strategy session before the battle, I see," Claude said. "Care if we join, Boss?"

Edelgard pushed herself off the pillar and stood up, crossing her arms. "Did no one ever tell you that it is rude to intrude upon the conversations of others?"

Claude looked at her and said, "Did no one ever tell _you _that it's rude to rope people into the rumor mill?" He sighed and said, "I can't even begin tell you how many heartbroken girls have come to me pleading to reconsider marrying you."

Dimitri nodded. "I know what you mean, Claude. Were it not for Sylvain, I might be in a similar situation myself."

Claude placed his hands around the back of his head and looked towards me. "You owe me one for taking a hit for the team, Boss."

I nodded. "I'll try not to scratch that pretty face of yours in the mock battle then."

"Ooh, fired up today, are we?" Claude smiled and then glanced at Edelgard. "Planning to show off a bit for your beloved?"

Edelgard shook her head. "My beloved doesn't need to show me anything. I am already well aware of his skills."

Claude raised an eyebrow. "Well… a bit too much information, but sure, Princess. Whatever you say."

Edelgard was confused for a moment, and then she turned a deep red. "You… You…!"

Dimitri sighed. "Would you not tease my sister so much, Claude? She is already in a delicate position."

"Right." Claude nodded and then winked at me. "Though I bet she'd love to be in some other positions too from what I read in that-"

"Gah!" Edelgard flung her hands down and then pointed at Claude. "I am telling Hilda on you, Claude!"

"H-Hey!" Claude's eyes widened and he said, "That's a low blow!"

I frowned. "Wait. Why would Hilda care about what Claude's saying?"

Dimitri smiled. "I suppose you would not know being so busy, but Hilda has been very insistent on getting Claude to reign back his more… shall we say colorful? Jests. After all, it would not do for the future Sovereign Duke of the Alliance to be so crude."

Claude frowned and lowered his hands. "Don't remind me." He sighed and said, "Why did I fall for her again?" He paused "Wait. None of you heard that!"

Edelgard smirked and glanced at Dimitri. "My. Was that a confession I heard, Dima?"

Dimitri nodded, a smile on his face as well. "I do believe it was, El."

I sighed. "Could you three not act like children for once?"

Edelgard froze and said, "I am sorry, my teacher. It seems I got carried away…"

Claude smiled and laced his hands behind his head. He whistled and said, "Wow. You've really got her tamed, huh Boss?"

Dimitri raised an eyebrow and said, "Like how Hilda has you wrapped around her 'delicate' fingers?"

"…Touché, Mitri. Touché. Anyway." Claude looked towards me and said, "I hope you guys are ready, Boss. I've got no intention of going easy on you today… You too, Mitri."

Dimitri nodded and looked towards me as well. "Yes. It would be a grave error to underestimate us today, Byleth. While I cannot say victory is certain, we will not go down so easily."

Edelgard raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised, Dima. You, lacking confidence in your comrades?"

Dimitri shook his head. "I am simply being realistic. After all, if Byleth's sister participates…"

At that, the three lords fell silent and stared at me.

I scratched the back of my head.

Stella… well, in the past few days she gained quite the reputation around Garreg Mach.

As my sister, as well as the daughter of the esteemed Captain Jeralt, there was no way that she could avoid garnering attention. And then there was her adorable appearance as well, a cute girl that would become an absolute beauty in a few years once the traces of youth faded away.

In the first day, there had been a load of cadets trying to get her interest. Some eager males even tried to keep up with her in training to try and impress her.

All of that stopped when Stella easily ran paces around even the most elite Knights of Seiros during my class's daily training from hell- er, physical conditioning.

And then there was the time when she blew a crater in the ground with a fire spell during combat training…

I shook my head. "Don't worry. Stella's not taking part in the mock battle."

Mostly because I was afraid she might accidentally kill someone…

_That was one time!_

One time too many. And aren't you supposed to be having tea with Flayn?

_…Hmph._

Claude let out a sigh of relief. "Thank the gods."

Dimitri nodded. "A wise decision, Byleth."

"…Yes," Edelgard said. "That was for the best, my teacher."

See?

_Oh, shut it._

"In any case." Edelgard turned towards the other lords and said, "We will spare no effort pursuing victory today, Claude. And do not think I will hold back against you either, Dima."

Dimitri smiled. "I would have it no other way, El."

I glanced at Edelgard and said, "…Are you sure you still want to-"

Edelgard frowned. "Do not dare think of withdrawing me from the mock battle this late, my teacher."

Claude raised an eyebrow. "A bit of conflict between the lovebirds?"

I shook my head and said, "I'm just-"

"Concerned." Edelgard nodded. "I understand. But it will be fine, my teacher. I know my limits… and you do as well. If it becomes difficult, I will withdraw."

Dimitri frowned. "Is your body still not fully recovered?"

Claude frowned as well. "That's right… You got injured. It's no fun fighting a weakened opponent. Not that I mind the tactical advantage, but…"

Edelgard smiled, though it was a cold expression. "As I said before, I may be weakened, but I have plenty of strength to deal with you both. You will find yourselves in a grave situation if you underestimate me… let alone my peers." Her eyes became a bit distant and said, "The hell they have gone through in these past few days…"

Dimitri blinked. "Hell?"

I coughed.

Thankfully, before I had to explain what Edelgard meant, more footsteps echoed.

Manuela and Hanneman walked into the training ground.

"My," Manuela said. "You've already charmed dear Lysithea away from me, Professor. Don't tell me you're planning to take my House Leader as well?"

Claude laughed. "Don't worry, Professor. I'm not so heartless as to leave you behind to deal with everyone else."

Manuela raised an eyebrow and said, "But you _were_ heartless enough to leave me lying on the floor bleeding out, weren't you?"

Claude shrugged. "Hey, it all worked out, right?"

Manuela sighed.

Hanneman shook his head and said, "While I am glad to see such a display of interhouse cordiality, it is time for the faculty strategy meeting."

"Ah. Right. That was a thing…"

I glanced at Edelgard.

She sighed and shooed me away. "I'll get everyone ready, my teacher. You go on ahead."

I nodded and then left with Hanneman and Manuela.

* * *

As always, the faculty meeting was held in the war council room. It hadn't changed from the last time I saw it, walls still lined with tactical formations and arrows along with a hanging map completely marked up in red.

The four long tables arranged in a rectangle were still there as well, though a familiar pile of paperwork was laid in the corner of it. Seteth's, from the look of it.

The advisor and acting Archbishop himself was seated at the table closest to the entrance. Beside him was my dad.

I walked in behind Hanneman and Manuela.

"Ah." Seteth noticed us enter and stood up. "That is everyone then."

I looked around and frowned. "Everyone? Just us?"

"This will be a short meeting," Seteth said. "I simply wished to provide a short overview of the security and safety measures for you three who will be out on the field with the students."

My dad stood up as well and said, "What he said. After hearing what happened to my kid and his students out there, we wanted to make sure that nothing else went wrong. Wouldn't do to have any noble brats dying on our watch now, would it?"

Hanneman nodded. "While that is a bit of a crass way to put it, Jeralt…"

My dad shrugged. "Just saying."

"…It is understandable," Hanneman continued. "With everything that has been occurring recently, it would be prudent to confirm such details before the battle begins."

Manuela laced her fingers together and stretched her arms… or more likely, her back, and then said, "Come on, Seteth. Spill it already. Don't leave us waiting in suspense."

Seteth sighed. "While I approve of levity, Manuela, you… No. I suppose it matters not." He shook his head and said, "To ensure the safety of any wounded students, Jeralt and I will be standing on a hill overlooking the battlefield. Bishops and priests capable of casting Rescue will be standing beside us while Dark Fliers capable of Physic will fly overhead."

Manuela nodded. "Physic, huh? I'm not sure it'll be enough for serious wounds… but it should be fine for this mock battle. It's not like the kids will be out for blood, right?"

I was quiet, suddenly remembering Hilda and Leonie's disdain towards me.

Manuela noticed and glanced over. "You're awfully quiet there, Professor." She frowned. "Should I be worried?"

"Probably not?"

Her frown deepened. "Like last time, that isn't a no…"

I shook my head. "It should be fine. We're only using training weapons… and everyone was told to hold back with their magic, right?" I glanced at Hanneman to confirm.

He nodded. "That is correct. I made sure to be quite thorough in relaying that information to both my students and Manuela's."

The songstress frowned and looked at Hanneman. "Hold on. What do you mean 'and Manuela's'?"

Hanneman adjusted his monocle. "Let us say that you have a tendency of being forgetful when it comes to things of this nature, Manuela."

Manuela crossed her arms and said, "Oh, and you don't, Mister Crest Scholar? From what I hear, your class is basically teaching itself! Meanwhile, I'm here with all of these brats that can't even tell a lovely rose from a ratty weed on the side and-"

"Ahem." Seteth cleared his throat and said, "If you two are done, might we continue with the meeting?"

Manuela sighed and lowered her arms. "Fine. Go on, Seteth."

The advisor nodded and then turned towards me. "While your concerns are noted, Professor, rest assured that I have activated certain countermeasures to ensure student safety should magic spells go out of control."

My dad chimed in and said, "You don't need to worry, Kid. We made the place Stella-proof, so everything should work out."

Seteth nodded. "As Sir Jeralt said. I will not go into the details, but trust me when I say that you need not concern yourself with any mishaps that may result from magic spells."

I nodded. "That's good… Wouldn't want any unexpected surprises."

My dad spoke up and said, "Don't worry about it, kid. I'll have Clark and Diane keeping an eye on things too. All you need to do is have it out with your students."

Seteth nodded. "While I would not put it so bluntly… Your father is correct, Byleth. This is an opportunity to showcase your ability as an instructor to all in Garreg Mach, as well as increase the prestige of your house." He smiled. "Simply do your best. Leave the security concerns to us."

Hanneman nodded. "This will be quite thrilling." He looked towards me and said, "I will have you know that, as much as I respect you, Byleth, the Blue Lions have no intention of losing."

Manuela smiled. "That's right. As cute a face you might have, I'm not afraid of scratching it up a bit."

I smiled. "We'll see."

"Well." Seteth smiled. "Since it seems like you are all fired up, shall we set out?"

* * *

About fifteen minutes before the start of the mock battle. Everyone had gone to their positions and were doing last minute preparations.

Like in that disastrous encounter a few days ago, we were starting on the southwest open plains, with the Golden Deer starting at the tower in the forested area to the northwest and the Blue Lions in the plains to northeast.

Unlike that time though, we wouldn't need to worry about being attacked, at least not by any uninvited guests.

Seteth's wyvern platoon were patrolling the air far above, keeping an eye out for any suspicious movements. In the distance, Clark and Diane were on the ground, securing the perimeter along with the Knights of Seiros that could be spared from guarding the monastery.

I shook my head and then checked up on my students… no, the ones I would be relying on in this battle: Edelgard, Caspar, Hubert, Ferdinand, and Petra.

Edelgard wore a form-fitting crimson armor with golden highlights and the symbol of the Adrestrian Empire etched across her chest. After fastening a wooden training sword to her side, she looked up at me and smiled. "The mock battle is finally here, my teacher. Are you ready?"

Seeing her equipment, I glanced at my own armor… or rather, at my lack of armor and frowned.

Unlike her, I was simply wearing my long coat and a dark gambeson. "…When I see you wearing that, I kind of think I'm not. Also, isn't that a bit unfair? We're just using wooden training weapons after all."

Hubert put on a fresh pair of white gloves and scoffed. "Would you rather Lady Edelgard risk being injured?"

"…True."

"Furthermore," Hubert said. "Though a mock battle, it is one expected to simulate true battle conditions. Wearing such equipment is natural."

I stared at him, particularly at his very distinct lack of any protective equipment save for his usual school uniform. "Any reason why you're not wearing any armor then, Bert?"

He scoffed. "I have no need of such things."

Ferdinand fastened a clasp on his chest plate and said, "And you speak of me being overconfident, Hubert. Even one as skilled as I dare not face the blades of my foes without the proper protection."

Petra finished adjusting a belt around her padded long coat and then tied her training sword to her left side. After that, she nodded and said, "Ferdinand is speaking the truth." She frowned. "I am thinking it to be most unwise to underestimate our peers."

Caspar threw out a few jabs, testing out his padded training gauntlets.

Since he had gone all in on evasion after the training outline I gave him, the only armor he had were on his arms and legs, steel vambraces and greaves. Other than that, he was just wearing his usual school uniform.

After he was satisfied testing out his gauntlets, Caspar turned towards Petra and said, "I dunno. Hubert kind of has a point. I mean, who needs armor when you don't get hit." He turned towards me and said, "Right, Prof?"

"…I mean, you're not wrong, but-"

I frowned, finding it hard to refute him, but also wanting to.

Ferdinand shook his head. "Whatever the case, it will not do to take our opponents lightly. Confidence is one thing, but preparation will be key to success."

Hubert raised an eyebrow and stared at Ferdinand. Specifically, he stared at all the weapons Ferdinand had on him. "Is that why you deigned it necessary to become a walking armory? One would be fine with but a single weapon, yet you carry not only a sword, but an axe, spear, as well as a bow and quiver."

Ferdinand slung his bow over his back and smiled. "You may think it silly, Hubert, but you will soon come to understand the strength of Ferdinand von Aegir in the coming battle. I have not been taking my training lightly… nor have I neglected the pointers that the Professor has given me."

Hubert looked like he wanted to say something, but paused and shook his head. "You are fortunate that it is your day of birth. Out of respect, Ferdinand, I will hold back the response that arrogance so deserves."

Ferdinand swung his sword around to test the weight and then placed it back at his side. Afterwards, he looked at Hubert and said, "It is not arrogance if it is well-founded. But I thank you for the sentiment, Hubert."

"Hmph."

I shook my head and then turned towards Edelgard. "Once again, are you sure that you'll be fine?"

Edelgard rolled her eyes. "And once again, I know my limits, my teacher. Worry not. I will withdraw well before it becomes an issue."

"Just wanted to make sure."

Caspar hopped in place and said, "Come on already, when is it going to start?!"

Petra stared at him and said, "You seem quite eager, Caspar. Are you being that excited to fight?"

He threw out some jabs and did some weaves. "I just can't wait to try this out for real! Linhardt sparred with me a bit, but I want to see if it works on other people, you know?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself," I said. "We won't be just charging in."

Hubert glanced over and said, "Oh? Have a plan, do we Professor?"

"Only a vague idea."

I stared at where the Golden Deer should be getting ready. Despite the distance, I should have been able to see them with my eyes. Yet, I couldn't, which meant they were probably holed up in the tower and devising some last minute tactics.

In contrast, off to the right, I saw Dimitri and the four he chose to fight with him practicing formations. Sylvain and Ingrid were armored and on horseback, taking the vanguard. Dedue was decked in full armor, similar to Dimitri. Those two were taking the flanks. Felix covered the rear, with Hanneman in the middle of the formation.

It looked formidable and coordinated, completely unlike our ragtag group. Despite that, it was the lesser of the two dangers.

I shifted my gaze back to Hubert and said, "Care to match wits against Claude, Bert?"

The dark magic user's eyes widened for a bit and then a sinister smile settled on his face. "You intend to attack both houses at once."

Petra frowned. "Is that being a good idea, Professor? I am understanding your confidence and trust, but…"

I stared at Dimitri.

Was it coincidence? For a brief moment, the prince stared back and smiled, an eager glint in his eyes. Anticipation and curiosity.

I shook my head and said, "It's probably not a good idea… but I have a hunch it's the best we've got if we want to win."

The Blue Lions had a Dimitri who had gone through Azure Moon, including all the combat that entailed. In contrast, the Golden Deer had a Claude post Verdant Wind with another few decades of experience around his belt.

One was skilled in close and desperate skirmishes while the other was experienced in a long game and strategy.

Either was already a tough opponent, but we'd immediately be facing the other the moment we were finished with one.

Not to mention both Dimitri and Claude seemed eager to test me out… Our key advantage lay in the element of surprise, one we'd lose if we doubled down on trying to get rid of a single house.

Edelgard frowned. "I do not disagree with your assessment, my teacher… but how will we divide our forces?"

I stared at Hubert. "Who do you need?"

"Hm…" The gloomy young man stared at all of us and said, "While I would ideally bring you and Lady Edelgard to finish this quickly, I believe the Blue Lions will be the fiercest fight among the two." He looked towards Dimitri and said, "That formation is not one formed haphazardly."

"Formation, smormation!" Caspar grinned and said, "All we gotta do is break it, right?"

Petra nodded. "I am agreeing with Caspar. If we are attacking quickly, we will take the victory."

Edelgard shook her head. "I don't think it will be that simple… Claude and Dimitri are no ordinary opponents."

Hubert nodded. "I agree, Lady Edelgard. Thus… Hm. Caspar and Petra. You two will come with me."

Caspar froze. "Huh? But I want to fight the Blue Lions!"

Petra frowned. "Yes. I am hoping to test my sword against the Blue Lions as well."

I ignored the two's protests for a bit and considered it. "Hm… that leaves me with Edelgard and Ferd. I'm guessing you're trying for a blitzkrieg… ah, a quick and decisive blow then?"

"Indeed. Moreover…" He stared at the tower and said, "I have a feeling that Claude will not play so nicely. And quite frankly, of us six, Caspar, Petra, and I are the most adept at dodging surprise blows."

I nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Caspar sighed. "Well… If Prof says so, I guess I won't complain. But the best at dodging, huh? If Hubert said it, then it looks like my training paid off."

Petra nodded. "We will go quickly and fell the deer! Then we shall defang the lions and take the victory!"

Edelgard looked at Petra, amusement clear in her eyes. "Well, I suppose there is no question of morale."

We rearranged our formation to suit our plan, Hubert with Caspar and Petra to the west, while Edelgard, Ferdinand, and I moved to the east.

Ferdinand looked at Hubert and grinned. "I hope you do not disappoint Lady Edelgard and the Professor, Hubert. It would be quite embarrassing to lose out to Claude of all people."

"Hmph. Speak for yourself, Ferdinand. Though it may be your day of birth, do your best to not be the third wheel between Lady Edelgard and Lord Byleth."

I blinked. "Wait, Lord Byleth?"

Before I could question him, a gruff voice echoed across the battlefield. My dad's.

"Alright, you brats! Listen up!" He looked out over the battlefield from a hill off to the east by the Blue Lions and said, "I'm sure you all already understand, but the house that defeats the other two is declared the winner. I won't say to have a fair fight since you won't get that in a real battle, but remember to hold back on fatal blows and remember your limits! Withdraw if you think you can't continue!"

An unspoken signal. With those words, the houses began to move, getting into position.

The Blue Lions rearranged themselves in a U, clearly pointed towards us.

To the west, I could see Manuela, Hilda, Leonie, and Marianne emerge at the top of the tower, all of them armed with bows. It seemed like Claude definitely was putting the terrain advantage to use… though it worried me that I couldn't see Claude or whoever their last person was.

"Everyone ready?" My dad called out.

I took a deep breath and steadied my mind, throwing away the extraneous thoughts.

Edelgard stared at me and gave me a reassuring smile.

Ferdinand gave me a thumbs up.

Hubert smirked and then focused on the tower.

Petra and Caspar focused as well, ready to follow Hubert's lead.

On top of the hill, I saw my dad look out at everyone and then nod. "Begin!"

We moved, our two parties breaking off towards our chosen opponents.

And then I felt a giant build-up of mana off to the northwest.

I reflexively glanced towards the source of it to see a certain white haired young girl standing at the entrance of the Golden Deer's tower. Holding a glowing bone staff.

…And crackling with dark magic.

My eyes widened and I said, "That cheating son of a-"

Before I could say anything else, the ground erupted with dark miasma and the terrain changed.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Feeling a bit better today. Still a bit congested, but looks like I've got through the worst of whatever I caught. I'll tentatively say that the next chapter will be out Sunday though in case this is just a brief reprise.

Mostly battle prep and setup this chapter. We get to see a bit of banter this chapter before the fun starts.

Claude's a cheating dastard, Dimitri has charisma hax, and seige spells will be flying left and right.

Whoo boy.

Preview for next time:

"Give up, Ferdinand! You're outnumbered three to one!"

"I will never surrender. For I! Am! Ferdinand von Aegir!"

Thanks for reading and all your well wishes. It helped out a lot when I was lying around in bed.

Hope it was enjoyable, and I'll see you soon!

Stay healthy!


	65. The Mock Battle

Unlike when I used Quake Sigma, the spell was more controlled when Lysithea used it. Thyrsus probably helped offload the required mana output, but the fact that it didn't completely blow up the side of the mountain was a testament to Lysithea's understanding and familiarity with dark magic.

Dark miasma burst from the ground, sending dirt and rocks scattering, but it was only in a limited area. Instead of throughout the entire training ground where the mock battle took place, the spell was restricted to the area around the tower. While the tremors could be felt from all over, something I could clearly see from how Dimitri and the others were bracing themselves, the primary changes were occurring near the Golden Deer.

Deep crevices opened up around the base of the tower, too wide to jump with a horse and too deep to just casually climb out of. If anyone fell in, they'd be stuck there for a while.

Seeing that, I had to admit. It was a brilliant tactic. Except… this was a mock battle and not a real one. Doing that much… Did Claude want to test my adaptability, or did he just want to show off?

The ground finally stopped rumbling. Lysithea lowered Thyrsus and crossed her arms, a content smile on her face.

For a moment, nobody moved. Only the sound of the wind blowing across the battlefield and tumbling rocks echoed. And then, a female voice called out.

"CLAUDE!" Hilda moved to the edge of the tower and looked up, shaking her fist. "You promised no cheating!"

The sound of wingbeats echoed, and a shadow flew down from behind a cloud. It descended and then landed beside Lysithea.

Claude, riding a wyvern and equipped with a longbow.

…Wait, Claude riding a wyvern? Wyvern knight Claude? No… he was wearing a bandana and fancy Almyran clothes too. Barbarossa Claude?

Claude dismounted and quickly took Thyrsus from Lysithea.

"Hey!" She pouted and reached out. "Give it back!"

"No way, Lissy. It's clear that you're not mature enough to use this."

"Not mature enough!? I did what you told me to do! Make a ravine, right?"

Claude rolled his eyes and held Thyrsus up and out of reach of Lysithea's shorter arms. "You did… but I thought you had more common sense than to use that spell of all things! All you had to do was blow a few holes near the entrance, not shake the entire mountain! This isn't a toy, you know?"

Lysithea flushed and crossed her arms. "I-I know! Still, I did what you said! Why are you mad?"

"That's… hah. I forgot how impatient you were…"

Hilda leaned over the edge of the tower and shouted. "Claude! Do we need to have a talk?!"

Claude winced. He immediately looked up and shook his head. "N-No, Hilda. Won't happen again, promise!"

She frowned. "…This better be the last surprise you pull out! And when did you even have the time to convince Lorenz to give you Thyrsus anyway?"

Claude smiled and waved his hand. "Don't worry about it! Anyway…" He turned around, looking across the field towards everyone else, and said, "Sorry about that everyone! Minor miscalculation! Hope you don't mind?"

Manuela ran over to the side of the tower and shouted. "Miscalculation!? Claude! Are you trying to throw away all of my credibility as a professor?! You said this was a textbook strategy! That we'd be fighting fair and square!"

Leonie moved over as well and said, "Yeah, Claude! Captain Jeralt is watching! What am I supposed to tell him when he sees this?!"

Claude hopped back on his wyvern and lifted off. When he got to the top of the tower, he smiled at Manuela and said, "Don't worry, Professor! All we gotta do is win, right?" After that, he looked to Leonie and said, "As for Captain Jeralt… Well, it's too late for that now." He pointed over to the hill where Seteth, the priests, and most importantly, the aforementioned Captain Jeralt were standing.

Leonie's eyes widened and she glared at Claude. "I'm going to get you back for this, Claude! Don't think I'll forget you embarrassing me in front of Captain Jeralt like this!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Claude muttered and then started to fly off.

Manuela raised her fist and said, "Claude! We'd better not lose! If we do, I'll… I'll make you write lines for the rest of the year! No, I'll make you sing choir with Hilda the rest of the year!"

Hilda gasped and then she shouted. "I swear to the Goddess, Claude, if we lose…!"

"Got it, Hilda! Won't let you down!" With those words and a brief smile, Claude took off back into the clouds.

Or so the guy planned.

Before he could get too far, I shouted. "HOLD ON! CLAUDE!"

He paused and then maneuvered his wyvern around to look at me. Claude was fairly high in the sky, just a dot against the vast sea of blue… but considering he was an archer and I had great eyes, we could see each other just fine.

Claude raised an eyebrow and said, "Yeah, Boss?"

I pointed my sword at him and said, "You're on a wyvern!"

He nodded. "Yeah?"

"You're _flying_!"

He smiled. "And your point is…?"

"NONE OF US CAN FLY!" I spun around towards Seteth and my dad. After that, I jabbed a finger towards Claude and said, "I call disqualification! Red card! Illegal!"

Seteth coughed and then said, "While a bit… unorthodox, and make no mistake I will be _severely_ reprimanding Claude and Lysithea for using a Hero's relic so callously, this _is_ meant to simulate a true battle. Unexpected variables are meant to occur. Besides, Professor… You cannot expect me to believe that you have no way of dealing with this situation."

"That-!" I sighed.

…Seteth had a point. Still, it wasn't fair.

…Which was also probably why Claude did it. Damn.

My dad grinned and said, "Hate to break it to you, Kid, but you should have thought the guy would pull something like this." He held his hand up and said, "The battle continues!"

Seteth nodded. "Yes… though I would like to add that there will be consequences for those that go too far in damaging the battlefield. It costs quite a bit to restore the training ground, and the church is running low on funds recently."

I sighed.

Edelgard walked over and placed a hand on my shoulder.

I looked up at her.

She smiled and said, "Relax, my teacher. While this may be unexpected, remember that Claude and the Golden Deer are not our targets."

Ferdinand nodded. "Indeed. Leave Claude and his wiles to Hubert, who is better equipped to handle them. As for ourselves…" He turned to face Dimitri and the Blue Lions. "We simply must fight."

"…Right. That's right." I let out a breath and nodded.

This was… blatantly rigged and unexpected, but then again I wasn't the only one guiding our forces.

If we were, it would no doubt have been a poor showing. I could probably knock Claude out of the sky… but that'd be at the expense of everyone else being knocked out as well in the process. After all, I couldn't be everywhere at once.

Edelgard lowered her hand and then drew her sword. "Now… what is the plan, my teacher?"

Ferdinand drew his sword as well and nodded. "Yes. Do we advance? Retreat? Bide our time?"

"That-"

Before I could say anything, a proud and regal voice echoed across the battlefield.

Dimitri raised his spear and said, "So that is how you wish to play, Claude? Then we shall not hold back either!" He turned his head back and said, "Professor Hanneman!"

The Crest Scholar nodded. "Understood, Dimitri!"

Dimitri turned his head back and pointed to the Golden Deer tower. "Everyone! As we planned!"

The U formation shifted, with the tip pointed towards the tower. After that, the Blue Lions sheathed their weapons and held out their hands, chanting as one.

A surge of mana began to gather around the Blue Lions, swirling with the epicenter focused on Hanneman.

My eyes widened and I shouted. "What happened to holding back!?"

Hanneman grinned and raised his right hand. "Blame Manuela, Byleth! Now, behold the fruits of my labor!"

Flames erupted, coalescing into a giant flaming orb above the Blue Lions.

Claude's voice suddenly cut through the air. "Marianne, catch!"

"H-Huh?" The quiet blue-haired young woman blinked at being suddenly addressed.

Something flew through the air towards her. Thankfully, Marianne's reactions were quick and she managed to catch it. She blinked when she saw what she was holding and said, "Thyrsus? U-Um, Claude-"

"Silence on Hanneman, now!"

"Y-Yes!" Marianne moved to the edge of the tower and pointed Thyrsus at the Blue Lions.

Hanneman swung his arm down like an executioner's blade and said, "Resonant Mete-"

"Silence!"

"…!?"

The giant ball of flames vanished, snuffed out with not a single wisp of fire or smoke remaining.

Seeing that, I sighed and muttered, "Why do I feel like we've become the side characters in this story?"

Edelgard shrugged. "It can't be helped. Those two… Claude and Dimitri are being quite a bit excessive in this battle."

Ferdinand shook his head. "A _bit_ excessive? You consider casting siege spells and using a Hero's Relic in a mock battle as only being a _bit_ excessive, Edelgard?"

Edelgard looked at Ferdinand and said, "At least they are not using Crest Stones to turn into demonic beasts."

Ferdinand blinked and then closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "The fact that you consider that as a valid tactic concerns me, Edelgard. It concerns me a great deal."

Edelgard frowned. "I never said that _I_ would use such a tactic. Only that it would not surprise me if either of the two did."

Ferdinand opened his eyes and said, "In a _mock_ battle?!"

I coughed and said, "On the bright side, it looks like Hubert and the others are managing to sneak up on the Golden Deer."

While Claude was having his bit and Dimitri was going all out, Hubert and his party managed to sneak their way across the field, using the forests as cover.

Well, with Claude's vantage point he probably had a good idea what was going on… but hopefully he wouldn't be able to expect the tricks that Hubert could pull.

I'd passed my notes on Dark Magic and a few ideas to Hubert in the past few days, but I wasn't sure how much he'd managed to get through. Knowing how smart and prone to preparation the guy was though, hopefully it was enough.

Claude might have decades of experience in warfare and governing on us… but he didn't know exactly what we were capable of.

At least, I hoped so. I could never actually know…

Well, either way… this was just a mock battle. It wouldn't be the end of the world if we lost.

A bit embarrassing, but not the end of the world.

After their gambit failed, Dimitri glared at Claude and said, "Relying on cheap tricks, I see!"

Claude's voice echoed from the skies. "It's not cheap if it works, Mitri! And a weak guy like me has to use them to stand a chance at beating you two monsters!"

"Well, you might have stopped our gambit, but let's see you dodge this!" Dimitri drew his arm back and then ran forward. The Crest of Blaiddyd flared and then he whipped his arm out.

There was a muffled _boom_ and the spear rocketed through the air, flying more like a tactical missile rather than a simple wooden stick like it really was. Moreover, tracing its trajectory with my eyes, I could see that it was flying perfectly on course towards Claude's chest, too fast for him to avoid.

Still, Claude remained cool. Instead of dodging, he quickly drew his bow and an arrow. The Crest of Riegan flared and then he fired.

Wind gathered around Claude's arrow, sending it spiraling towards Dimitri's spear.

And then the two collided.

A shrill sound erupted as the two attacks grinded against each other before both stopped, sending wooden shrapnel falling down to the ground.

"Hmph." Dimitri lowered his arm and said, "So it won't be that easy, huh?"

Claude lowered his bow and said, "See? Monsters."

I glared at Claude and said, "I take offense to that! Dimitri's strength is superhuman!"

Claude turned to look at me and said, "Probably want defense instead, Boss!"

I blinked. "What? Defense-"

"Hilda! Bolting!"

Edelgard's eyes widened and she said, "Byleth!"

Electricity crackled and thunder boomed.

"You cheating- Gah!" I didn't have time to waste on words.

I focused and sketched out the path of mana that the Bolting would follow with my eyes. Then, before the spell actually materialized, I moved in front of it and held out my left hand to intercept.

Lightning flashed and struck my left palm. Thankfully, because it was magical, my arm didn't get completely vaporized. Instead, my left arm served as a makeshift lightning rod.

The moment the Bolting spell connected with my arm, I twisted it and threw it to the ground, scorching the grass black. That done, I shook my left hand, frowning at the numb feeling spreading across it.

Either Hilda was stronger than I anticipated at magic… which, considering everything Claude was pulling, I found likely, or staying up so late every night really wasn't good for my health… which was also likely.

But more importantly…

I turned back towards the hill and said, "Don't tell me that you're allowing siege spells too!"

Seteth shrugged and shouted back. "I can only commend Professor Manuela's teaching prowess!"

From the tower, Manuela called out. "Why thank you, Seteth!"

From the Blue Lions, Hanneman let out a wordless scream. "…!" It was clear that he wanted to argue with Manuela, but the guy was still suffering from Marianne's Silence spell.

I sighed and then beckoned Edelgard and Ferdinand for a group huddle.

The two walked over and looked at me.

Edelgard said, "So what do you have in mind now, my teacher?"

Ferdinand nodded. "While I am confident in my skills… I must admit that there is not much I can do against siege spells yet, Professor. If we have to face those the entire way… it will be difficult. Not impossible, but difficult."

I frowned and glanced towards the Golden Deer.

Hubert, Caspar, and Petra were still advancing. And under the cover of a cloaking spell? Huh. It seemed like the guy really did figure out how to replicate that Agarthan tech… I should probably talk with him about it later.

But anyway, they would be the key to all of this. Claude and the Golden Deer were tricky due to terrain and the guy's unexpected ploys. Then, to distract everyone and buy time…

I shook my head and said, "This will sound dumb… but we charge."

Edelgard blinked and said, "Charge?"

I nodded and then turned around to face Dimitri and the Blue Lions. When I did, I raised my sword in the air and said, "Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd! I challenge you and the Blue Lions to a frontal clash!"

Ferdinand's eyes widened and he said, "H-Hold on, Professor! This-"

Before Ferdinand could finish, Dimitri turned to face me and said, "Very well! We accept your challenge!"

The Blue Lions formation shifted, with the tip pointed towards us, and then they charged.

Sylvain and Ingrid moved on horseback, leading the formation, both holding wooden lances.

Dimitri and Dedue guarded the flanks, charging forward like juggernauts and somehow keeping pace with Sylvain and Ingrid.

And then there was Hanneman and Felix, taking up the center and the back, lagging behind a bit, but still moving with the group.

It was an intimidating sight, especially considering the fact that the ground trembled as the Blue Lions advanced across the open plains towards us.

Ferdinand sheathed his sword and pulled out his spear. He looked towards the advancing Blue Lions and then towards me. "Are we truly doing this, Professor?"

I nodded. "We've got to. But don't worry. I'll make an opening. In that time, you and Edelgard just need to take out as many as either of you can."

Ferdinand let out a slow breath and then turned to watch the Blue Lions. "Very well. If you are that confident… No. If you trust in us that much, then I, Ferdinand von Aegir, will not disappoint!"

Edelgard smiled and stepped forward as well, holding her sword in her left hand. "Keep up the high morale, Ferdinand. It is truly appreciated."

"I will try, Edelgard. Though I must admit, I did not think we would be fighting against these odds in the mock battle…"

"Get used to it. If you are to be my future Prime Minister, there will be a great many more disadvantageous fights in the near future."

Ferdinand sighed, but a smile was on his face. "Truly, my life as a noble is the more difficult one… but I shall rise to the challenge!"

Edelgard watched the Blue Lions approach and then said, "I have always wondered who was the strongest between Dima and I… We never managed to settle it in the past."

I glanced at them both and said, "Well, don't overdo it. Remember, this is just a mock battle. There's no need to go all out."

"Of course." Edelgard nodded. "I will remember my limits."

Ferdinand nodded as well. "I will keep that in mind, Professor. But… You will not mind if I beat them down, will you?"

"Heh. Confident, are we?"

Ferdinand smiled. "It is my birthday. I hope you do not mind if I am not quite so humble today."

"Well…" I looked up.

The distance between us and the Blue Lions had closed to less than ten meters. A single bound.

"…Time to show me what you've got. I'll take point!"

I ran forward, holding my sword loose at my right side. In no time, I was facing down the hooves of both Sylvain and Ingrid.

Sylvain raised his lance and said, "Charging right at us, huh, Professor? Is that arrogance, or confidence? Let's find out! Ingrid!"

The blonde knight nodded and said, "Got it, Sylv!" She spurred her horse on, increasing the speed.

The two cavaliers charged, their lances poised to run me down. Both lances were blunted, as well as wooden, but it would still hurt.

Not that it would connect.

I held out my left hand and said, "You won't go any further!" The Crest of Aubin shone, sending out white light and stopping the two in place, along with their horses.

It was an opening, a brief gap in their formation.

But before that opening stretched beyond a second, a black blur charged forward. "I won't let you!"

The Crest of Fraldarius flashed and Felix swung his sword. The sound of glass shattering echoed and then the white light binding Sylvain and Ingrid faded.

I lowered my left hand, wincing as mild feedback from getting my Crest forcibly cancelled shot through my left arm. "Tch! So it wasn't luck back then!"

It looked like Felix breaking through all of my Crests when he had thought I killed Annie wasn't just a fluke. The Crest of Fraldarius was stronger than I anticipated…

Still, while the opening was brief, it was still an opening. The tight U formation they had was stretched just a little, enough for gaps to show up.

While I wracked my mind for the next step, deciding on which of the three to attack, a voice called out from behind me.

"Allow me, Professor!"

Ferdinand stepped forward, holding a sword in his right hand and an axe in his left.

"Ferd?"

He glanced at me and then turned to face the charging Sylvain and Ingrid. "I will tie them up! Deal with the others!"

Hearing his confidence, I nodded and said, "I'll be right back! Don't do more than what you can do!"

With that, I activated the Crest of Indech and then gathered wind around my feet. In the next moment, I charged, rushing through the brief gap towards Hanneman.

"As if I'd let you!" Felix immediately moved to block my path. But before he could take but a step in my direction, a blast of lightning raced towards him.

Felix was forced to dive out of the way. He rolled and then sprang back up, glaring at the one who sent that blast of lightning.

Ferdinand lowered his hand and said, "I am your opponent!"

Sylvain thrust his lance at Ferdinand and said, "A bit arrogant to be fighting all of us, aren't you?"

"I prefer to call it confidence! Now, are you going to mince words or clash blades? I am fine with either!"

"You…!" Felix grit his teeth and then charged towards Ferdinand.

During that little exchange, I rapidly closed the gap between me and Hanneman.

The Crest Scholar noticed me coming and smiled. At the same time, he shifted his stance, holding up a closed left fist with his right held at his waist.

It was clear he wasn't going down without a fight.

I touched down and kicked off again, closing the final bit of distance before I could swing my sword.

But before I could, a looming shadow moved to intercept.

"You will not pass, Professor Byleth."

Dedue stepped in the way, his fists raised to fight. His feet were a shoulder width apart and his lower body was turned slightly to the side. His left fist was held high, leading, while his right fist was held by his chest. It was a modified version of what Hanneman was doing, but more grounded. Unyielding.

I narrowed my eyes and said, "We'll see!"

Dedue was sturdy and basically all muscle. Not to mention the fact that he was covered in armor everywhere except for his head…

In that case, I didn't need to hold back too much.

I wrapped more mana around my legs and then kicked off in a sudden burst, twice my previous speed. At the same time, I used the Crest of Indech to increase my reflexes, letting me move at my rapid velocity.

It would hurt, but the only opening I saw on Dedue was his head, so…

I swung my sword. Wind screeched as the blade cut through the air at a blinding speed, aimed at Dedue's temple.

He was too rigid. Dedue wouldn't be able to move in time.

Thus-

My sword connected with Dedue's skull. But I didn't get the feedback I expected.

The Man of Duscur didn't wince from the blow or bend his neck to soften it. He didn't even blink.

Instead, white light flashed and my right arm felt numb, like I had struck a steel wall instead of a person.

"What the-"

Dedue smiled and then threw a haymaker with his right fist.

Shocked, I didn't react in time and was sent flying back through the air. I managed to soften the blow by rolling, but when I got back to my feet to look at Dedue, I was still confused.

"That… Was that Pavise? No, how in the…?"

Dedue turned slightly to face me and said, "I am His Majesty's shield. Though this may not be a true battle, Professor… I will not yield in my duty."

Hearing that, I remembered Dedue's Personal Skill and groaned. "Rigged. This whole fight is rigged."

First Claude and his antics, then Dedue and his ungodly defense… not to mention he was armored.

What the heck was I going to do now? Unlike Dimitri, Stella, and Edelgard, I didn't have superhuman strength. Speed, yes, but that didn't do anything without the force to back it up.

I shifted my sword to my left hand and shook my right, trying to get out the numbness from hitting a practical steel wall-

Faint flashes of white light. Magical arrows flying towards me.

Saggitae.

My eyes widened and I quickly swung my sword, using my left arm to disperse the mana while deflecting what I could. Even so, sparks of white light cut across my coat, leaving behind trails where they singed the material.

I frowned and looked towards the caster.

Hanneman smiled and waved, holding another round of arrows in his right hand.

Seeing that, I couldn't help but shake my head. "I thought you were silenced, Hanneman?"

He shrugged and gave me a look that seemed to say, "You underestimate me, Byleth!" Immediately after that, fire flickered around his other hand.

…It seemed like he had been researching more than just Crests recently if he could do that. Maybe he was inspired by me telling him I could see and feel mana… Clearly he'd gotten a boost in abilities.

It didn't seem like he could cast anything crazy like Meteor, but my gut told me that anything below that was fair game.

Which meant we were at an impasse.

Dedue was blocking me off from getting Hanneman and Hanneman couldn't really do anything that could harm me.

Behind me, I could hear Ferd holding his own against Sylvain, Ingrid, and Felix.

"Gah! Stay still, dammit!"

…And from Felix's frustrated words, it was clear that he was doing well.

Meanwhile, off to the side, I could see Dimitri facing off against Edelgard.

Dimitri stepped in and swung his spear, aiming at Edelgard's neck.

She stepped in and brushed the attack aside with her sword before lunging with a stab.

Dimitri stepped back, spinning his spear around his left arm, and smiled. He glanced at Edelgard's sword and then said, "What happened to using an axe, El?"

Edelgard straightened and smiled back. "A delicate maiden like myself should use a more elegant weapon, shouldn't she?"

Dimitri raised an eyebrow. "A delicate maiden? You?"

Edelgard flushed and said, "Oh shut up and fight, Dima!"

Dimitri laughed. "If you say so, El… Then I'll stop holding back!" He shifted his stance, holding the spear point towards Edelgard. After that, he stepped forward and said, "Try to keep up!"

"Tch! Looking down on me…!" Edelgard stepped forward and swung her sword.

The sword and the spear clashed… but from the loud explosions erupting as they did, it sounded more like blows from actual steel rather than the wooden training weapons they were using.

Suddenly, a fist started to fill my field of view.

My eyes widened and I stepped to the side.

A gust of wind rushed past as Dedue's fist brushed through the air where I had just been standing.

I narrowed my eyes and then spun on my heel. "If I can't damage you…"

I wasn't strong enough to punch through that armor and his defense. Still, that didn't mean I had no way of stopping him.

Dedue's arm was overextended.

Before he could pull it back, I reached out and grabbed it. In the same move, I spun and stepped back, bracing his torso against my back to throw him to the ground.

Unfortunately, Dedue was better at grappling than I thought.

He read my move and let me try and throw him. Yet, as he flew through the air, he grabbed my torso in his arms and pulled me towards him. It was clear that he was planning to trap me within his arms and pin me to the ground.

"Dammit!"

I gathered wind and sent it out in a burst.

Dedue wasn't expecting it and loosened his grip, letting me wrangle free.

The Man of Duscur collapsed on the ground, but only briefly.

Meanwhile, I was left airborne, falling to the ground after being sent free in mid-air.

During that time, a surge of flames rushed towards me.

Hanneman held out his left hand and sent out a blast of fire while I couldn't dodge.

I didn't bother avoiding it, since fire couldn't hurt me. Instead, I used the time to open a gap between me and Dedue, rolling against the ground and jumping back to my feet.

When I was standing, I brushed off the grass from my coat and muttered, "So that's my limit, huh?'

I glanced at Dedue, who was already back on his feet, and then Hanneman, who was priming another round of Saggitae arrows.

I shook my head and said, "Jeritza was right. I'm trying too hard to fight like a normal person.

While I was decently skilled with a sword… it was in terms of killing. Holding back like this wasn't my forte.

I wanted to act like a proper professor and fight everyone off with pure skills… but it looked like that wasn't going to happen.

"Screw it. Cheap shots it is-"

"Kuh!" A pained female gasp. Edelgard's voice.

My eyes widened and I spun to the side. "Delly!"

I turned in time to see her being sent flying by Dimitri's spear.

I threw everything else to the side and ran towards her, catching her before she hit the ground.

I scanned her over and said, "Are you ok? What happened?"

Edelgard groaned. "Urgh… I'm fine, my teacher." She pushed me away and tried to stand up, only to wince and kneel. "Still, forced to withdraw…" She looked up at me and said, "Well, things will only get tougher from here on out, my teacher. Good luck."

"Wait-"

Before I could question her, white light flashed.

My eyes widened and I followed the source to see Edelgard reappear at Seteth's side before being taken away by… Linhardt and Mercedes? Huh. I didn't notice them at the time… but that made sense.

Edelgard's departure brought a sudden pause to the battle between us.

In that time, I frowned and glanced at Dimitri.

Was he that much stronger than Edelgard?

Dimitri straightened, lowering his spear. After that, he shook his head and said, "Heh. That was… pretty good, El."

Suddenly, cracks spread across his armor and his spear shattered. After that, his eyes rolled up in his head and he fell forward, slumping to the ground.

"Your Majesty!" Dedue looked away from me and completely turned towards Dimitri.

White light gathered around the Prince of Faerghus as well, the guy being warped away for treatment after being knocked out.

But that didn't matter.

What did was that there was an opening.

While Dedue was distracted, I gathered wind and charged towards Hanneman.

Dedue realized his mistake and turned around to stop me. But-

"Too slow!"

I moved around him and then closed the rest of the gap towards Hanneman.

The Crest Scholar's eyes widened and he raised his right hand to send out Saggitae arrows.

"Nothing personal, Hanneman!"

I started to swing my sword towards his head, planning to knock him out… and then I remembered what he was doing for me and quickly changed tactics. Instead of knocking him out like that, I held out my left hand, crackling with electricity, and tazed him.

Hanneman winced before slumping to the ground, stunned.

White light surrounded Hanneman's body as he was warped out as well.

I turned to leave, but before I could move a single step, Dedue was already in front of me.

He threw a punch. A simple jab, aimed at my face. Except, from Dedue, it was the equivalent of a missile.

I could feel the shockwave ripple towards me and I instinctively ducked to the side.

The barrage didn't stop there though.

Dedue threw a chain of punches, a combo that sounded like aerial bombardment from how fast each was.

I desperately dodged, using everything I knew to avoid being hit. "H-Hey! This is a mock battle, you know? No need to go all out, Dedue!"

Dedue smiled, but continued punching. "If you fear for your life, feel free to withdraw, Professor."

"Tch!"

It was clear that he wasn't going to back down. Since that was the case…

I planted my feet after dodging the next punch and then took a boxer's pose, holding both of my arms in front of me. At the same time, I gathered lightning around my fists and said, "Fine! You might be strong, but I don't think you've got much resistance, do you?"

I used the Dempsey roll to dodge a punch and jabbed Dedue's neck.

Lightning crackled and Dedue winced. Still, he narrowed his eyes and continued punching.

My eyes scanned Dedue's punches, moving into overdrive to try and catch the slightest openings.

Jab, dodge, jab, hook, straight…

Every punch I landed sent a jolt of lightning through Dedue's body, but it was clear that it wasn't enough.

"Note to self…!" I dodged another of Dedue's punches and threw a counter hook. "Invest in Spirit Dust!"

I managed to graze his chin.

Dedue flinched and for the first time took a step back.

An opening.

I didn't hesitate and jumped forward, quickly moving around and grabbing Dedue in a stranglehold.

"You…!" Dedue grabbed my arms and tried to pull himself free, but I refused to let go.

For good measure, I kept up the electricity. Still, it seemed like the Man of Duscur wouldn't be going down without a fight.

I grit my teeth and resisted the man yanking at my arms, even as it felt like they were going to break.

And then… they went limp and he slumped backwards.

Unfortunately, since I was behind him and completely worn out from holding on, it meant I got crushed.

Suddenly, the world went dark and I couldn't breathe. But then light and mana wrapped around me, and I was suddenly standing on the hill next to my dad.

He looked at me, a wide grin on his face, and said, "So. Since when do you suddenly suck at fighting?"

I shook my arms, still throbbing from the abuse of resisting the Man of Duscur, and said, "Shut up, Dad. I'm good at killing, not fighting."

"Ah, touché." He nodded and then went back to observing the battlefield.

I took the time to look around.

The hill we were on wasn't that far from where I had just been fighting. Only a hundred meters or so. Maybe the length of a sports stadium. It was pretty high though. I'd put it at half the tower in the distance… so five or so stories? The average size of a house at least.

Anyway, that wasn't too important.

There were three tents set up, each color coordinated for a designated house. Blue for the Blue Lions, yellow for Golden Deer, and red for Black Eagles.

In the Blue Lions tent, I could see Dedue and Dimitri being healed up by Mercedes and Annette. Hanneman was there too, but since I had just stunned him, the guy was already up and running. Though, from how he just waved at me instead of saying anything, it seemed like he was still waiting to be cured of his Silence.

The Golden Deer tent was still empty, as expected. Since Claude had brought their healer along with them, there was a random priest waiting there.

As for the Black Eagles, Dorothea and Linhardt were sitting there and fussing over Edelgard.

Seeing that, I decided to walk over to rescue her.

Edelgard sighed and said, "I am telling you, Dora, I am fine! All that Dima did was wind me."

Dorothea crossed her arms and said, "That didn't look like you just got winded, Edie! Now sit down and let us heal you!"

Linhardt nodded. "It won't do for our House Leader to get sick before our first mission. Not to mention the work we'll have to do to make up for when you do… Yeah. Just let us heal you already."

Edelgard frowned.

I waved and said, "Heya. How's the brave Emperor doing?"

Edelgard looked towards me and let out a sigh of relief. "Professor! Help me convince them that I'm fine. Neither seem willing to yield despite my efforts."

Dorothea shook her head. "At least take off your armor, Edie! We have to check your body for wounds!"

Linhardt nodded. "Besides, it's not like it's anything we haven't seen before."

Dorothea glared at Linhardt. "Lin!"

"What? It's true. We saw each other naked a lot when we were kids, didn't we?"

"I mean… yes, but you don't mention stuff like that!"

Linhardt sighed. "Whatever. If Edelgard is that insistent on not being healed, then I'll just go back to sleep… Ah. Unless you need healing, Professor?"

I shook my head. "I didn't actually get hurt. Just got squished beneath Dedue."

Edelgard frowned. "Then why are you here, my teacher? Won't we be at a disadvantage?"

I shrugged. "Well… if I'm being honest, there's not much else I could have done either." I frowned and said, "Holding back is a lot harder than I thought it'd be…"

Dorothea snorted. "Only you, Professor, would find it harder to hold back then go all out."

"Not my fault that all I know how to do is kill. But anyway…" I looked to Edelgard and said, "Your body's fine?"

She nodded. "A bit sore, but nothing that some rest won't fix."

I looked at Dorothea. "See?"

The songstress sighed and threw up her hands. "Fine! Whatever you say! Don't blame me if you get sick later!" She huffed and crossed her arms before sitting on the ground.

Edelgard sighed and said, "I'm sorry, Dora. But thank you for the concern."

Dorothea shooed Edelgard away and said, "Just go on back and cheer the others on. I'll sit here and wait for anybody else to show up."

Edelgard nodded and then turned towards me. "Well, my teacher? You heard her."

"Alright. I'm curious to see how Ferd is doing…"

The two of us headed back towards the top of the hill overlooking the battlefield.

Along the way, Hanneman walked over. "Byleth!"

I glanced at him and said, "Finally got that Silence removed, huh?"

He sighed. "Do not remind me… I had been hoping to show off my latest developments in this mock battle. A pity that it must be delayed to the Battle of the Eagle and Lion."

I frowned. "That reminds me… What happened to holding back, Hanneman? Meteor, let alone a resonant variation, is not holding back!"

He shrugged. "I deigned it fit to return what was given to us. After all, if Manuela allowed her students to use both a Hero's Relic and Quake Sigma, let alone Bolting, the Blue Lions should return in kind, no?"

"That's- Hah, never mind." I shook my head and kept walking.

…Was this what Sothis felt like every time I did something ridiculous? Going all out without considering the consequences… I should give her something to make up for the headaches then.

"Ah!" Hanneman exclaimed and said, "It appears that my remaining students are facing off against one of your own, Byleth. That is… young Ferdinand, I believe?"

Edelgard came to a stop and looked out at the battlefield. "Yes. It seems that is indeed Ferdinand. And he seems to be holding his own fairly well against those three."

I followed her gaze.

Back at the open field, Ferdinand stood in the center of three people, surrounded on all sides. It looked like Sylvain and Ingrid had dismounted at some point, since both of the cavaliers had switched over to using spears on foot rather than their lances on horseback. Felix was the same as ever though, still super serious and glaring Ferdinand down.

As for Ferdinand…

His armor was cracked. His sword was broken, his spear fractured, his axe shattered, and his quiver completely empty. He had fought hard, but he looked to be on his last legs.

Sylvain spun his spear and said, "Give up, Ferdinand! You're outnumbered three to one!"

Felix nodded. "I gotta admit, you're pretty strong, Ferdinand. But this is it." He raised his sword and said, "Give up before you get hurt."

Ingrid spun her spear as well and said, "There's no shame to surrendering. You've done a valiant job already."

Ferdinand laughed. "Surrender? Give up?" He shook his head. "I will never surrender. For I! Am! Ferdinand von Aegir!" He grinned and broke his spear in half, holding the two pieces as makeshift swords. "Come at me!"

"Don't say we didn't warn you!" Sylvain shouted and said, "Ingrid, Felix! Like we practiced!"

Ingrid nodded and said, "Got it!"

Felix tightened his grip around his sword. "Don't mess up, Sylvain!"

Sylvain charged. "I should say that to you, Felix… but now! Triangle attack!"

"Hah!" Ingrid flipped and flew into the air. At the peak of her launch, she spun around, sending a blast of icy wind to rocket back to the ground, aimed at Ferdinand's shoulder.

At the same time, Sylvain stepped in, his spear thrusting out with Swift Strikes, lightning fast stabs that blocked Ferdinand's forward escape path.

From the side, Felix blurred and charged, attacking with Astra. Five strikes aimed at each of Ferdinand's limbs.

Watching it all happen, Ferdinand said, "No openings?" He shook his head and then said, "In that case… I'll make one!"

The Triangle Attack was fast and simultaneous. The timing was perfect, leaving no escape.

At least, that should have been the case.

Yet, knowing that, Ferdinand turned and charged, facing towards Felix.

"Challenging me?" Felix grinned and swung his sword, Astra gleaming and ready to start… and then he froze.

The Crest of Cichol flared, locking Felix in for a split second.

"What?"

That brief moment was all Ferdinand needed.

The orange-haired noble stepped forward and whacked Felix in the temple with the bit of wood in his left hand. At the same time, he spun to the right and lashed out with the wood in the right hand.

Ingrid's trajectory was pushed slightly to the side just before she struck and her spear pierced into the ground. She blinked, stunned for a brief moment at the sudden change. "What just-?"

"Ingrid! Move!"

Sylvain tried to pull his arms back, but he was already charging forward with his combat art and couldn't abort it.

Ingrid's eyes widened and she stepped back, using fancy footwork to avoid Sylvain's attacks.

In the meanwhile, Ferdinand walked over to Felix, who was knocked unconscious, and picked up the guy's sword. Ferdinand swapped it out for the wood in his right hand and swung it a bit. "Hm… a bit light, but it will do."

White light gathered around Felix, warping him away as well.

Seeing that, Ferdinand turned towards his remaining opponents and said, "And then there were two. Not bad odds if I say so myself."

Sylvain stared at him and said, "Huh. Gotta say… you're a lot better than I thought you were, Ferdinand."

He raised his sword. "I can say the same about you Blue Lions. To take out both Edelgard and our Professor… It seems he was right in saying that it would be unwise to underestimate you all."

Ingrid shook her head and pulled her spear out from the ground. "You're the one we underestimated… To think that our Triangle Attack could be beaten. You're lucky your Crest activated."

Ferdinand smiled and said, "I must admit, it was a lucky break… but luck is always on my side. Now come! I will not let down my guard even though you two are the only ones left."

"Smart." Sylvain switched his spear stance, holding it low to the ground. "You see, my dear friend Ingrid and I have the best coordination among all of the Blue Lions."

"Ugh." Ingrid shook her head and said, "Don't say it like that, Sylv. It makes it seem like we're a couple or something."

Sylvain paused and looked at her. "…Are we not?"

Ingrid lowered her stance as well and said, "When you finally decide to stop flirting with other girls and ask me out properly, I'll consider it."

"Well, looks like I've got a lot to make up for…" Sylvain shook his head and then dropped his usual smile. "Nothing personal, Ferdinand. But you're outta luck!"

With those words, Sylvain charged again. This time, however, he moved with Ingrid.

The two cavaliers moved as one, and their Crests, Daphnel and Gautier, overlapped as they thrust out with their spears.

Ferdinand's eyes widened and he frantically lashed out with his sword and the remaining piece of his spear. But it was futile.

Sylvain and Ingrid's attacks were a continuous stream, staggered to give Ferdinand no chance to breathe, let alone think. Paired with their Crests enhancing the strength of their attacks, in no time, Ferdinand's weapons were worn down… and then they shattered.

Bits of woods flew through the air as Ferdinand's weapons broke.

Seeing that, Ingrid stepped forward and swung her spear. "You're finished!"

Sylvain stepped back and chose to attack with magic instead, sending a stream of flames flying towards Ferdinand. "Take this!"

It was over. Despite the valiant fight, Ferdinand had lost… Or so it seemed.

Just before either attack struck, Ferdinand smiled and said, "You've been compromised!" Ferdinand threw the remains of his weapons aside and then said, "Ward!"

White light shone and formed a glowing barrier around Ferdinand.

Ingrid's spear crashed against it, but came to a stop. When it did, her eyes widened and she looked to Ferdinand. "You can use Faith magic?"

Ferdinand grinned and said, "People like me are quick studies… and with my Professor, there is nothing that I, Ferdinand von Aegir, cannot do! Now! Victory will be mine!"

Sylvain's eyes widened. "Ingrid, look-"

"Too late!"

The Crest of Cichol activated, locking Ingrid in place. The moment it did, Ferdinand smoothly stepped forward and jabbed Ingrid's abdomen.

The blonde knight flew through the air towards Sylvain. Before she got too far though, Ferdinand made sure to grab the spear from her.

Ingrid landed on the ground next to Sylvain. She gasped and then let out a groan. "Sorry, Sylv. Looks like… Inexperience got the best of me…"

Sylvain sighed and shook his head. "You did good, Ingrid. Rest well."

She smiled and then vanished in a flash of white light.

That left just Sylvain and Ferdinand.

Sylvain stared at Ferdinand.

Ferdinand spun his new spear with his left hand and held it out, smiling. "Shall we continue?"

Sylvain narrowed his eyes. "Don't underestimate me!" The Crest of Gautier flared and he charged. As he did, fire crackled to life around him, boosting his speed.

When I saw that, I blinked. "…Has everyone just spontaneously picked up my trade secret?"

From beside me, Edelgard shrugged and said, "It's not that difficult to do, my teacher. Hard to control, yes. But to perform… not really."

I frowned.

…Maybe I should consider trademarking it…

Anyway, I shook my head and focused back on the fight.

Ferdinand swung his spear, activating the Crest of Cichol. For a split second, it stopped Sylvain. Yet, the Crest of Gautier flared, shattering it.

Despite the sudden change, Ferdinand wasn't surprised. Instead, he swung his spear to clash against Sylvain's.

Sylvain roared and pushed, sending Ferdinand staggering back. With that, the momentum shifted and Ferdinand was forced into a retreat as Sylvain let out a barrage of attacks.

Hanneman smiled and turned towards me. "It seems like it is our win, Byleth."

I shook my head. "It won't last."

"Hm?" Hanneman frowned and turned back to watch the fight.

Sylvain kept attacking… but after a few seconds, his spear started to slow down.

Meanwhile, Ferdinand looked tired, but he was considerably better off than his counterpart.

After a few more strikes, Sylvain lowered his spear. His arms trembled as he tried to raise it again, but it wouldn't budge.

Ferdinand lowered his spear as well, though to get ready to attack rather than out of fatigue. "A valiant effort," he said. "But insufficient."

Sylvain sighed. "Looks like it. You win, Ferdinand."

He nodded. "It was a good fight."

"Right, so I'll just withdraw-"

Ferdinand stepped forward and then whipped his spear, cracking Sylvain across the temple.

The red-haired cavalier's eyes widened for a brief moment before rolling up in his head. After that, white light immediately surrounded him, warping Sylvain away.

Ferdinand watched and then spun around towards the hill, saying, "That is for flirting with Stella! The Professor might have forgotten, but I have not!"

I sighed.

Edelgard laughed. "Well, that was unexpected."

I shook my head. "Ferd is-"

A faint whistling and a brief black line from above.

My eyes widened and I shouted. "Ferd! Above you!"

"Hm?"

Ferdinand turned around to look, raising his spear. But it was too late.

A blunted arrow fell down from the sky and struck Ferdinand in the forehead.

Claude swooped down and waved. "Sorry, Ferdie, but I can't afford to lose, you know?"

Ferdinand collapsed, vanishing in white light after being knocked out.

I glared at Claude and said, "That was a cheap shot!"

"Perfectly legal in a real fight!"

I grit my teeth… and then I saw what was going on at the tower and smiled. "Hah! It looks like it doesn't matter! Checkmate!"

"Hm?" Claude noticed me staring into the distance and followed my gaze.

The terrain around the tower hadn't changed. However, the people standing at the top had.

Hubert, Petra, and Caspar stood behind the Golden Deer. Manuela, Hilda, and Marianne were tied up while Leonie was knocked out cold. As for Lysithea… she was standing with Hubert, Petra, and Caspar, making her allegiance clear.

"What the-? Hilda! What happened?!"

Hilda groaned and said, "Some Master Tactician you are, Claude! They know warp and can turn invisible! Not only that, but Lissy turned traitor!"

Lysithea shrugged. "Shouldn't have eaten my pudding, Hilda."

"That was _one_ time, Lissy!"

Claude spun around and gave me a dirty look.

I grinned. "So… You going to surrender? Or are we going to drag this out until you eventually land and my teammates take you out?"

Claude ran a hand through his hair and then said, "Fine! You win. The Golden Deer surrenders."

"CLAUDE!"

"What! We lost!"

"Argh…!"

Jeralt laughed and then clapped his hand on my shoulder. "Good one, Kid. Now…" He stepped forward and said, "All right, that's that! The winner of this mock battle is... The Black Eagles!"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Turns out I was sicker than I thought. Didn't want to get sick on Christmas, so I took a few more days off then originally intended.

Thankfully I managed to get this done before Christmas Day. To those that celebrate it, Merry Christmas! To everyone else, Happy Holidays! This is my present to you.

Thanks to everyone for reading and leaving your input! Hope you have a good holiday break and I'll see you... hopefully at least once more before the New Year!

Take care if I don't see you til then, and hope you all have fun!


	66. Results

After the Golden Deer surrendered, the three houses reconvened at their respective tents on the hill. I wasn't too sure what everyone else was doing, but from Hilda's muffled screaming in the distance, it was clear that Claude, at least, wasn't having a good time.

Kind of odd though. I didn't take Hilda to be someone to rant… then again, considering that she'd been shackled to a year of choir practice with Claude, I didn't blame her.

The Blue Lions, on the other hand, were fairly quiet. I could faintly hear Dimitri and Hanneman talking in the distance, but their voices were low enough that I couldn't make out the words among the din of the knights and priests cleaning up the area.

As for us, we were in our own tent.

I glanced around the room at my students.

Edelgard, Ferdinand, Dorothea, Linhardt.

Hubert, Caspar, Petra…

The only people missing from the Black Eagles were my dear sister and Bernie, who stayed back to make sure Stella didn't get too stressed out in the tea party with Flayn. Other than those two, we were all here.

All of us, as well as the most recent addition to the Black Eagles.

Hubert walked over to me and smiled. "How was my performance, Professor? Acceptable, I presume?"

I shook my head. "More than acceptable, Hubert. If this was graded, you'd pass with flying colors."

The gloomy dark mage smiled and said, "I'm flattered. Of course, the credit doesn't belong to me alone." Saying that, he glanced back at our newest member.

Lysithea nodded her head and looked at me. "You see! I told you that you would regret not seeing my worth, Professor!"

I never actually said that, but seeing her satisfied look and eyes that seemed to seek praise, I didn't dispute her words. Instead, I smiled and said, "Looks like you were right, Lysithea. You really played a key part in us winning this time, huh?"

Hubert nodded. "Indeed. Were it not for Miss Ordelia, taking the tower might have been a bit more troublesome. Granted, I had a contingency for the case in which she refused to cooperate, but I had a hunch that she would."

Lysithea huffed and crossed her arms. "It's Claude's fault. Treating me like a kid all the time… I'm already fifteen! I'm not a child!"

Petra nodded. "I am agreeing with you Lysithea. In Brigid, you are already being an adult."

Lysithea smiled and turned towards her. "Finally! Someone who agrees!"

Petra nodded. "Also, I am having happiness- Ah. I mean to say, I am happy to have a peer my own age."

Lysithea's smile froze and she stared at Petra. Her smile slowly dimmed and she said, "You… You're fifteen?"

"Hm?" Petra tilted her head and said, "Yes. That is being the case. I am indeed fifteen years of age."

Lysithea scanned Petra from head to toe and then crossed her arms. "…Hmph. Some people have all the luck…"

Dorothea sighed. "Tell me about it. Petra really is blessed…"

The Brigid Princess blinked and said, "I… am not having understanding." She turned to look at me and said, "Professor? Would you explain?"

"That's-"

Linhardt sighed and said, "Dorothea and Lysithea are jealous that you have a developed body at such a young age."

"Lin!" Dorothea flushed and said, "You don't need to put it so bluntly!"

Lysithea nodded and said, "Yes! Can you not have at least a modicum of sense, Linhardt?!"

He shook his head and said, "What is it with girls and beating around the bush? That's just going to lead to misunderstandings."

Ferdinand nodded. "Indeed. Women are mysterious creatures."

Dorothea crossed her arms and then glared at Ferdinand. "And what's that supposed to mean, Ferdie?"

Ferdinand paled and held up his hands. "N-Nothing, Dorothea! I am simply stating that it can be difficult at times to understand you… Ahem, you women."

"No." Dorothea took a step towards the orange-haired noble. "Don't take back your words. You said that it's hard to understand me, hm?"

Edelgard laughed. "It seems that you've found yourself in some trouble, Ferdinand."

Petra blinked, looking between Ferdinand and Dorothea. After that, she frowned and said, "I am still lacking understanding…"

Caspar walked over and said, "Gah, whatever!" He jabbed his finger towards me, pointing accusingly, and said, "Prof! You didn't tell me going with Hubert would be so boring!"

Hubert crossed his arms and sent a cold glare towards Caspar. "Did you have a problem with my commanding, Caspar?"

Caspar crossed his arms as well and then said, "This was supposed to be a mock battle! You know, a big fight where we get to show off!" He frowned. "I wanted to fight, but all we did was sneak around like assassins and thieves!"

Hubert raised an eyebrow. "Yes… But in doing so we achieved a victory. Does that not matter more than your personal satisfaction, Caspar? Or perhaps you find it better to selfishly charge headfirst into combat like your father?"

"Hey! Leave my dad out of this! At least he doesn't go around snuffing people like your dad!"

"Caspar!" Edelgard called out and crossed her arms. "That is out of line. The same goes to you, Hubert."

Caspar froze and then let out a long sigh. After that he ran his right hand through his hair. "...Sorry, Edelgard. It's just… We won. And I know I should be happy, but… Gah! I wanted to show off what Prof taught me, you know?"

Hubert frowned and then slowly shook his head. "I see. In that case… I apologize, Caspar."

Ferdinand's eyes widened. "Hubert? Apologizing? Is the world coming to an end?"

"Hmph." Hubert glanced towards Ferdinand and said, "I can acknowledge my faults, Ferdinand. It just happens that they are rare and few."

"Ah." Ferdinand nodded. "There is the Hubert I know."

Hubert rolled his eyes.

While those two bickered, Edelgard turned towards me and said, "In any case… You did admirably today, my teacher."

I shook my head. "There's no need for the empty praise, Delly. I didn't do much in this mock battle."

Not even my best at that. While I hadn't gone over the mock battle in detail yet, I could already start to pick out things I could have done better and things I forgot to do.

"I disagree," Edelgard said. "You knew your limitations and acted accordingly. Furthermore, you did a fantastic job at distracting Claude and pretending to be exasperated."

Hubert nodded. "Indeed. That was a masterful ploy, Professor. I would dare to say that my task would have been quite a bit more difficult had you not riled up both Claude and Dimitri so much."

That… definitely wasn't what I had in mind when I acted like that. But it looked like it was out of character enough that they thought it was an act.

…Well, I wasn't about to disagree.

Instead of saying anything, I kept quiet and nodded. After that, I did what anyone else would do when taking credit and trying not to be called out on it: deflect.

I glanced at Lysithea and said, "I know that you've filed the paperwork to transfer and everything, but are you sure you should be here right now, Lysithea? Don't you want to say goodbye to your housemates?"

A flicker of regret crossed Lysithea's face before she shook her head. "Thank you for the concern, Professor, but I am fine. This decision was made with all of that already placed under consideration." She smiled. "Besides… I would not wish to be anywhere near Hilda right now after the result of the mock battle. She might not seem like it, but Hilda has… quite the explosive temper. It would not surprise me if Claude was-"

"YOU STOLE IT!? YOU SAID YOU-!"

"Marianne! Silence!"

"Y-Yes, Claude!"

Lysithea glanced towards the Golden Deer tent and then shook her head. "…As you see."

"Well, if you're fine with it…" I glanced around and, seeing that no one was coming over towards us, decided it was best for us to head back. "I think it's about time we return to the monastery for some well deserved rest."

* * *

The journey back to the monastery went by without any trouble. I half expected something to happen knowing my luck and recent events, but gladly everything worked out. Maybe the world was giving me a break due to the trouble I had to deal with already as a professor of over thirty students…

As we entered the monastery, Lysithea left our group, saying that she had to finish up some paper work before tomorrow in order to officially transfer.

I bid her farewell with a reminder for her to drop by the classroom early tomorrow so that I could give her some notes to catch up with the rest of the class.

That left us with just the original Black Eagles and myself… minus Bernie and Stella.

Like that, we entered the reception hall on the way back to the Black Eagles classroom.

The pair of double doors swung open, revealing the usual polished tiled floor, soft torchlight mixed with the fading daylight from the setting sun… and three familiar girls seated at the table near the middle of the hall. One with short violet hair, another with long dark blue hair, and the last with curly light green hair.

"Oh! You're back!" Bernie jumped out of her seat and ran over. "How did it go? Did we win?" She glanced at everyone and then gasped. "No, you're back early, so did we lose? Argh… Should I have volunteered after all?"

Stella walked over following Bernie and sighed. "You silly girl. If our house is the first to return, it is obvious that we won, is it not?"

Ferdinand nodded. "It is as Stella says." He puffed out his chest and said, "Obviously, the Black Eagles reigned victorious in the mock battle."

Dorothea frowned. "I get that we won and you did a large part in winning against the Blue Lions, Ferdie, but do you have to go out of your way to boast?"

Ferdinand wilted and said, "Ah… I apologize, Dorothea. It is just… today is my birthday so I wanted to show off a little…"

Flayn gasped. "It is your day of birth? How wonderful! This victory must be the greatest gift then!"

Ferdinand smiled at Flayn and said, "Thank you, Flayn! I am glad that someone understands."

Dorothea frowned. "That's right… It's Ferdie's birthday."

Petra shook her head. "You have forgotten already, Dorothea? Even I am recalling this. Ah!" She turned to Ferdinand and said, "I have left the gift of celebration in your room, Ferdinand. It is not much, but I am hoping you enjoy it."

Ferdinand nodded. "Thank you, Petra."

"Ooh, right!" Caspar made a fist with his right hand and smacked the side of it in his left palm. "Today was Ferdinand's birthday!" He turned towards me and said, "Are we gonna have a feast to celebrate it, Prof?"

Linhardt sighed. "You and wanting food… What do you think the Professor is, Caspar? I doubt he has the money right now to spend on another party."

Caspar paused and then scratched the back of his head. He let out a sheepish smile and said, "Right… forgot about that."

Ferdinand shook his head. "There is no need for that." He smiled and said, "Tonight, the celebration will be on me! We shall have wine, fine food, and-"

"And nothing," I said. "As much as it'd be great to go all out and celebrate… it's still the middle of the school week. Not to mention we've taken enough breaks as it is last week."

Ferdinand paused. "…Ah. You have a point, Professor." He sighed. "Alas, it appears that I shall have to settle with the knowledge that I played a large part in our victory…"

Edelgard spoke up. "Not to worry, Ferdinand. While we might not be able to celebrate now, there is nothing that says we cannot celebrate during the weekend. Besides, it would be best to have a whole day to enjoy rather than mere hours before curfew, would it not?"

Ferdinand smiled and gave Edelgard a grateful nod.

Hubert hummed. "If that is what Lady Edelgard desires… Hm. I suppose I should make some arrangements. After the fiasco of last time, it would be good to have a proper celebration rather than the makeshift one that the Professor put on."

I narrowed my eyes. "Are you saying I don't know how to throw a party, Hubert?"

"Indeed. While joyous, it still remains at the level of a commoner. And as Ferdinand says, it would do well to have some fine wine, food, and entertainment for once."

Edelgard groaned. "Hubert. Don't tell me you're suggesting a proper noble reception. You know how much I disdain those."

I blinked. "A proper noble reception?"

Edelgard shook her head. "It's… something that happens in court. A noble sends invitations to other nobles and everyone dresses up fancy for some tea and fine food. Terribly stuffy and hopelessly uptight."

Hubert shook his head. "It would also do well to quell… or at least divert the rumors surrounding you and the Professor."

Ferdinand frowned. "One moment. Hubert. Are you suggesting that we use my birthday celebration as a tool to help Edelgard?"

He turned to Ferdinand and said, "You said it yourself, did you not? That you would do your best to support Lady Edelgard and the Professor in their relationship?"

"That… Hah. I suppose that is true. And it _has_ been a while since I have done anything proper…"

"Wait, wait, wait." I held up my hand and said, "You guys are actually planning a formal affair for this weekend? Here at the monastery at that?"

Flayn clasped her hands together. "That sounds delightful! Might I be invited?"

Ferdinand nodded. "Of course, Flayn! The more the merrier!"

Linhardt sighed. "Can I skip this one? I was looking forward to napping this weekend."

Hubert crossed his arm. "Skip the reception? Do you wish to show a lack of solidarity among Lady Edelgard's ranks, Linhardt?"

"…Right. Son of an important Count and all…" Linhardt shook his head. "Fine. I'll show up. Just don't expect me to do anything."

"Ooh!" Dorothea's eyes brightened and she turned to stare at me. "That means we get to see Professor all cleaned up!"

Petra stared at me as well and said, "Yes… This will be the most interesting event!"

I shook my head. "Don't I have a say in this?"

"None what so ever," Hubert said.

"…What if I assign a large project due Monday?"

Hubert shrugged. "I suppose we will just have to suffer through it… and you will have to suffer with grading rushed assignments."

"Argh…"

Caspar pumped his fist in the air. "Alright! Party time this weekend!"

Hubert raised an eyebrow. "My, Caspar. I didn't know that you were so enthusiastic about attending receptions. I'll make a note to include you in the entourage when we inevitably return to Enbarr."

Caspar froze. "…Is it too late to change my mind?"

"Yes."

He sighed.

Hubert glanced over in the corner and said, "And don't think that you can escape, Bernadetta. As the heir to House Varley, you need to attend as well."

Bernie groaned and slowly walked back after trying to make a subtle escape. "Foiled again… Are you sure you're not an evil vampire, Hubert?"

"If I were, I highly doubt you would be so bold as to suggest it to my face," Hubert said. "Now, do you have any formal dresses here, or must I procure some for you?"

While everyone else was excited and planned the upcoming reception… which slowly seemed to resemble a wedding reception the more my students started to talk, I decided to avoid reality for a bit and moved over to talk to my dear sister.

Stella turned to look at me, amusement clear on her face. "I presume the mock battle went well then, considering the high spirits that your students are in."

I glanced at the lively bunch and shook my head. "Apparently. Though I start to wonder if setting the precedent for parties last week was a good idea…"

If even Hubert was getting into it, then something was up. Granted, the reasons he gave for holding a 'noble reception' were logical. After all, we did need to celebrate Ferdinand's birthday, the victory of the mock battle, and make the rumors of Edelgard's proposal die down. Still, it didn't settle quite right with me.

Stella shook her head and said, "It will be fine. So what if they are all a bit exuberant? Better that than deadly serious, no?"

I shrugged and then focused on Stella. "What about you? How was the tea party with Flayn and Bernie?"

Stella glanced at Flayn from the corner of her eyes.

The fluffy green-haired young woman was standing in the midst of the Black Eagles, cheerfully adding on to the plans. If it wasn't for the fact that she wasn't on my roster, it wouldn't be odd to think that she was a Black Eagles student.

…Which reminded me. I should probably warn Seteth ahead of time about the potential of Flayn getting kidnapped. While Jeritza was on our side and Edelgard was definitely not working with the Agarthans at this point, Fate still seemed to converge on key events. I wasn't sure of it, but I had a strong feeling that, if not Flayn, someone was going to get kidnapped within the next few months.

Wait.

I stared at Stella and tilted my head.

She smiled back.

"…So you haven't just been messing around, have you?"

"Well," she said. "One of us has to keep an eye on the flow of events. And seeing as you are preoccupied, that duty falls upon me, does it not? Though…" She glanced at me and then continued on silently.

_It is odd. Time… seems to have stabilized somewhat. _

Hm?

_With all that you have done, there should be more ripples against the current of time. Yet… I sense nothing. With the princess choosing you, with the prince retaining his sanity, and with the outsider possessing decades of experience, let alone all of them being aware of the future, events should be completely different. Yet…_

…It's not, huh?

_Perhaps it is just my imagination. Or perhaps this physical body has numbed my senses… but I would be wary. For the flow of time to be so still…_

Odds are that Fate's going to drop in like a brick, huh?

_Indeed. _

At that time, Edelgard walked over. She glanced between me and Stella and smiled. "What are you two doing? If I didn't know better, I'd think you two were having a mental conversation or something."

Stella laughed. "As if this dolt could read my mind."

I frowned. "I'm still taking that as a challenge. One of these days I'll figure out how to do it."

"Oh?" Edelgard glanced at me. "Are you researching magic to tap into the mind, my teacher?"

I shook my head. "Only my sister's. I can already read you like an open book."

"Wha-?" Edelgard flushed and then crossed her arms. "That makes me seem like a shallow woman, my teacher. I will have you know that is not the case."

"Of course not. You're a complex individual with a beautiful determination to set right a world you see as cruelly distorted. You also like mysteries, sweets, and me."

Edelgard's flush deepened and then she said, "Th-That is not fair, my teacher! Complimenting me like that…" She lowered her head and started poking her index fingers together.

Stella sighed and said, "If you two are done whispering sweet nothings to each other, I believe the others are finished discussing."

I glanced over to see my students start to break off into groups and head out.

Linhardt yawned. "If there's nothing else going on, I'm going to sleep, Professor. I still need to compile the quiz topic notes for the extra credit assignment and I want to be wide awake for that." He waved at me and then walked off towards the noble dorms on the east side of the main hall.

Caspar groaned. "I forgot about the quiz. I still haven't finished studying…" He glanced at me and said, "Heya, Prof. Do you think you could… you know. Postpone the quiz by a day? After this weekend?"

"And mess up my grading schedule for the next month? Not to mention risking overlap with our house's mission?" I shook my head. "No thanks."

Caspar sighed.

Ferdinand walked over and said, "If you require help in studying, I might be of some aid, Caspar. It has been a while since we spent time together."

Caspar grinned. "Thanks, Ferdie! I owe you one."

Ferdinand turned around and waved towards Hubert. "Would you like to join as well, Hubert?"

The dark magic user shook his head and said, "I have other business to attend to this night. With recent events, there are letters that I must send out."

Ferdinand nodded. "I see." He paused and said, "Hm. It has been some time since I heard from my father. Perhaps it would be prudent to write a letter back home..."

Caspar placed his hands behind his head and said, "Oh yeah. My mom's been nagging me about that in her letters too. I should probably write back soon… Wouldn't want her to show up out of the blue with my dad or something."

With that, Caspar, Ferdinand, and Hubert left.

The moment they did, Dorothea, Bernie, and Petra walked over with Flayn in tow.

Dorothea glanced at me and said, "Sorry to barge in, but Petra suggested that we take a nice bath to relax. We were wondering if we could take Stella with us?"

Flayn chimed in and said, "Yes, Professor! It would not be the same without my dearest friend Stella! There is much to discuss!"

Petra nodded. "I am hoping to have a long girls talking… I mean, a long girl talk with everyone."

Edelgard looked amused and said, "You would invite Stella and not me, Dora? I'm hurt."

Dorothea laughed. "Well, I'd love it if you came along with us, Edie. But I think you'd prefer the fine company of our Professor, wouldn't you? I know I would." She glanced at me and then winked.

Edelgard shook her head, a smile on her face.

"Anyway," Dorothea said. "Can Stella come, Professor?"

Before I could answer, Stella huffed and crossed her arms. "As if I require my brother's permission to spend time with my friends."

I raised an eyebrow. "Friends?"

Stella flushed and quickly started walking away. "I-In any case, let us be off! The baths will not be open much longer."

Wow. All grown up already, deciding things on your own and making friends. I'm proud.

_Quiet you!_

I shook my head and watched as they left.

And then it was just Edelgard and myself standing in the reception hall.

She walked over to the table and took a seat.

Seeing that, I followed her lead and sat down beside her.

Edelgard glanced around and then, seeing no one in the surroundings, looked at me and said, "You seemed a bit out of sorts earlier, my love. Are you that against attending a formal noble gathering?"

I shook my head. "It's not that." I frowned. "I guess I'm still just adjusting to the rhythm of teaching. It's… odd not having to worry about fighting every day."

Last week was basically battle after battle and countless surprises. Going from that to mundane teaching… I'd be lying if it didn't have some effect on my mental state.

Edelgard crossed her legs and then laced her hands together, placing them on her lap. "I see." Her expression dimmed and said, "I suppose that would be my part. Had I not chosen that path, perhaps these peaceful days-"

"Stop that." I immediately cut her off and said, "Enough blaming yourself."

"But my love, I-"

Footsteps echoed and then a familiar charismatic male voice called out. "Well, it didn't take long at all for you two to start flirting again."

Edelgard narrowed her eyes and stood up. "Claude. And… Dima as well?" She frowned. "What are you two doing here?"

Claude walked over to us, Dimitri following behind him.

I stood up as well and said, "Edelgard has a point. Shouldn't you two be with your houses?"

Claude held up his hands and shook his head. "Can't you show some sympathy for the losers? My sorry self has to spend the whole year doing choir practice with Hilda now."

Dimitri glanced at him and said, "I would hardly consider that a punishment considering your affection towards Hilda, Claude."

"Yeah, well you're not the one who had to break the news to her about how she has to get up at the crack of dawn for the rest of the year to do the morning hymns." Claude sighed. "Not to mention Boss over there poached Lissy…" He glanced at me and said, "On that note, you could have given me a heads up, Boss. I wouldn't have included her in the line up if I knew she was planning on transferring to your house."

I crossed my arms and said, "And then have you decimate us with your aerial advantage? No thanks."

Dimitri shook his head and then turned towards Edelgard. "I missed the chance to say this earlier, but you've grown quite a bit, El. I didn't think that you had become strong enough to hold your own against me with a sword. An axe, perhaps, but to wield a blade so skillfully…" He shifted his gaze to me and said, "You are quite the skilled instructor, Byleth."

Claude lowered his hands and muttered, "Skilled instructor, huh? Bet it's not just sword skills he's been teaching the princess."

Edelgard narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me?"

Claude nodded. "You're excused."

"That's not what I- Argh!" Edelgard shook her head. "You're insufferable, Claude!"

I pinched the bridge of my nose and said, "Could you stop it with the innuendos, Claude? I've got enough of a headache today as it is."

"Yeah, well, you and me both, Boss." Claude shook his head and then fixed a stern gaze on me. "But don't think you'll get off so easily in the Battle of the Eagle and the Lion."

Dimitri nodded. "Yes. The Black Eagles might have attained victory in this case, but when the time comes for us to clash upon the field of battle once more… the outcome will be different."

I frowned. "I don't know about that."

Claude grinned. "The pride cometh before the fall, Boss. I'd keep that arrogance in check if I were you."

Edelgard crossed her arms and said, "I would return those words to yourself, Claude. After all, it was the source of the Golden Deer's downfall in this battle, was it not?"

Claude's grin faded.

Before he could say anything, I shook my head. "Delly. Stop antagonizing him."

Edelgard sighed and lowered her arms. "…Yes, my love."

Claude looked like he wanted to say something snarky, but he visibly bit his tongue.

"In any case," I said. "…I'm not sure I'll actually participate in the next battle."

"What?!" Claude's eyes widened and he said, "Wait, you can't do that! How am I supposed to redeem myself if you don't agree to a rematch!"

Dimitri nodded. "I'm afraid I must agree with Claude on this, Byleth. It's quite impolite of you to take your winnings and run."

Edelgard laughed. "Well, well. It seems that my dear teacher finds you both lacking."

"Again, stop that, Delly."

"…Sorry."

I sighed and ran my right hand through my hair. "It's not that. It's just… I don't think I can fight seriously against any of you guys. My skills are meant for killing, not sparring."

Claude frowned. "…That sounds like arrogance to me, Boss. Do you seriously think that you're so good we'll get hurt?"

I shook my head. "No. I'm afraid that I'll fight a student and be unable to hold back because _they're_ too good. I've spent over a decade honing instincts on how to efficiently kill, not to disarm or incapacitate."

Claude's eyes widened and then he said, "That's right. I keep forgetting that you were the Ashen Demon… Even after all these years, those instincts are hard to keep down, huh? No wonder you sucked so much."

"Hey. I didn't do _that _bad." I paused. "…Did I?"

Dimitri shrugged. "I did not manage to watch much of your fight… but I must admit that I did not expect for you to fall to Dedue."

Edelgard nodded. "That was indeed unexpected…"

"Gah, whatever." I shook my head and said, "The point is, unless something changes, I probably won't be participating in the Battle of the Eagle and the Lion… Well, not directly at least. Instead, you'll have to face the students that I trained the entire year." I smiled. "Think you're up for it?"

"A battle by proxy, eh?" Claude put a hand on his chin. "Hm. Well, I guess that's as good as I'll get without fighting you to the death or starting a war, so I suppose it'll have to do."

Dimitri frowned. "Do not say that even in jest, Claude. War…" Dimitri's eyes became a bit distant. "War is not something to be taken lightly." For a brief moment, Dimitri's eyes flitted towards Edelgard.

Edelgard narrowed her eyes. "Are you implying something, Dima?"

He quickly held up his hands. "No! I would never, El. Just…" His expression softened and he said, "The thought of crossing swords with you… Even if all the demons in the world were to grab onto me, I would not dare raise my blade. Not after-" He cut himself off and shook his head. "In any case… It is getting late." Dimitri glanced out a nearby window and said, "I suppose we should all be preparing to unwind for the evening, should we not?"

Claude sighed. "Right… I should probably be figuring out a plan to deal with Hilda too. Maybe pick something up on my way back to return Thyrsus…" Like that, muttering to himself the entire way, Claude left.

Dimitri turned towards me and said, "I'd like to congratulate you and El once again on your victory, Byleth. Ah, and when you decide on a proper date for the other matter, do remember to invite me." He frowned and said, "After all, with Emperor Ionius now deceased and Lord Arundel being who he is, the duty of walking El down the aisle falls to me." His eyes sharpened. "And do not think of eloping. I might tolerate a great deal from you, Byleth, but to deny El a proper ceremony-"

Edelgard rolled her eyes. "Again, you're being overprotective, Dima." She smiled. "But I appreciate the thought."

"So long as my intent is made clear." Dimitri nodded and said, "Then… good evening to you two. El, Byleth." Leaving those words behind, the Prince of Faerghus left as well.

Once again, it was just me and Edelgard.

"Well," Edelgard said. "As much as I enjoy spending time with you, my love, the others have a point. We should retire for the night." She looked at me and said, "I believe you have a meeting early tomorrow to learn of our house's mission, do you not?"

I sighed. "You're right. Not to mention the fact that I've got to sort out the lesson plans for the rest of the week… and I've still got to get around to writing that quiz."

Edelgard smiled. "Delaying your work will do you no good, my love."

"Seems like it."

Edelgard stared at me.

I stared back.

"So," she said. "Are you going to leave?"

"Are you?"

She nodded and then rubbed her chest. "Yes. I think it would do me a great deal of good to turn in early for the night… I do not wish to risk my condition taking a turn for the worse."

My eyes widened. "That… I forgot."

Right. Edelgard… How could I forget about her time limit?

She smiled and gently patted my shoulder. "It's fine. You've been busy."

"But…"

Edelgard took a quick look around. She paused and then said, "Is there anyone nearby, my love?"

I frowned and looked around. "…Unless they've managed to make a spell that's even better than our foes, there shouldn't be. And we're in a spot where no one can see us from outside as well." I turned back to her and said, "Why do you-"

Before I could say anything else, Edelgard stepped forward and kissed me.

It was short, chaste. A brief brush of her lips against my own.

Even so, it made my mind stop for a moment.

Edelgard stepped back and smiled, her face a light shade of red. "A bit of motivation for you to work. That should be enough, is it not?"

"…Now that's not fair."

She gave me a coy smile and waved. "Good night, my love. I'll see you tomorrow."

I watched her leave, walking down the hall back to her room. When she vanished, I shook my head and started heading back to my own, preparing to settle in for another long night.

I couldn't let my fair princess down, after all, could I?

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Just back from holidays! Still have a lingering cough for some reason, but other than that everything's going great! The new decade's off to a fantastic start on my end. I hope that it's the same for you as well, and I wish you a belated happy new year!

This chapter's a bit of a filler. Gotta get back into the flow for a bit, but I hope it's still entertaining.

Thanks for reading, as always, and whatever input you feel inclined to leave. I appreciate you nevertheless.

Take care! I'll see you soon!


	67. Missions

A knock echoed from somewhere nearby.

I jolted back to consciousness, raising my head. Papers fluttered to the floor and faint rays of light blinded me for a moment.

I blinked and shook my head to get rid of the lingering sleepiness and regain my bearings.

I was seated at my desk, papers scattered all around. It seemed like I fell asleep sometime in the middle of the night after working on the lecture notes and quiz.

There was another knock, from my door, I realized, and then a stern voice called out.

"Professor? Are you awake?"

That was Seteth. Probably to get me for the morning meeting.

I yawned and scooted my chair out before walking over to the door. After unlocking it, I opened the door.

Seteth stood there holding a book under his left arm and wearing dark blue robes. It was similar to what he always wore when getting me for the faculty meetings, but a bit more comfortable looking.

"Morning Seteth. Time for the meeting?"

He nodded. "Indeed. But… I see that you had a long night." His eyes flitted towards my forehead.

I frowned and reached towards it with my right hand. When I did, I felt a piece of paper stuck there.

I sighed and peeled it off. Thankfully, it didn't seem to be anything important. Just a crumpled scrap I scribbled some fast notes on.

After crumpling it up again and jamming it in my pocket, I said, "Isn't it obvious? With having to teach thirty kids, how could I not have a long night?" I frowned and said, "I still can't believe you allowed them all to transfer to my class."

Seteth shrugged. "Far be it for me to deny a student's request to change their instructor."

"You could have just told them they'd be getting worse education doing so. After all, you can't expect one guy to properly teach such a large group, can you?"

Seteth raised an eyebrow. "From what I hear, you are doing just that and admirably as well. Unless there's something you wish to tell me, Professor?"

I nodded. "Yes. Transfer out half of my students to Manuela or Hanneman."

"Denied."

I sighed.

Seteth stepped forward and patted my right shoulder with his hand. "If it is any consolation, Hanneman and Manuela underwent similar situations when they first began teaching."

"They did?"

"Oh yes." Seteth lowered his hand and then nodded. "For Hanneman, it was due to his reputation as the foremost expert of Crestology. As for Manuela her… assets, as well as her reputation as the Divine Songstress of the Mittelfrank Opera Company sent a great deal of cadets her way as well when she began."

I frowned.

That… made sense.

"Furthermore," Seteth said. "Your current roster's size pales in comparison to their own."

"…It does?"

Seteth nodded. "Enrollment surged when the two joined the staff of the Officers Academy. As a result… I believe their class sizes numbered around a hundred? Granted, the number dwindled throughout the year as some students dropped out or failed in their studies, but it was no small amount of hardship the two had to deal with."

"Huh. No wonder the two were so calm with teaching…"

After such a hectic first year, having such a small class must have been a breeze in comparison…

"Wait." I narrowed my eyes and said, "That still doesn't excuse the fact that I have to deal with all of these students out of the blue! Not only that, but those two had proper training as professors, didn't they?"

Seteth coughed and then said, "In any case, Professor. Do you wish to sort yourself out before the meeting? Lady Rhea returned early this morning, so it might be prudent to tend to yourself before seeing her."

My response to his suggestion was to walk back into my room and grab my coat before tossing it on over my ruffled dress shirt.

Seteth shook his head. "Of course. Why did I even bother asking?" He sighed and then turned around. "Very well. Follow me."

* * *

The meeting took place back in the war council room, the usual place for the faculty meeting. It was the same as always, fancy pillars, the rectangle of long tables, the hanging map… the only difference was that my dad was hanging out by a pillar near the entrance as we walked in.

He glanced at me and then laughed. "You look like hell, Kid. The teaching life not going well?"

"Oh shut up. You're lucky you've got Alois to toss your duties to."

"Ooh, snippy this morning, huh Kid?" My dad smirked.

I rolled my eyes and walked forward.

As I passed my dad, he pushed himself off from the pillar and walked beside me.

"Anyway," he said. "Alois is more suited to doing paperwork than I am. Besides, better to keep the guy with a family doing safe work in an office rather than risking his life, right?"

I frowned. "…I guess."

Seteth followed behind us and said, "Do you two have this type of exchange every morning?"

Jeralt shook his head. "Nah. I think the kid's just a bit stressed. He never had to do much paper work growing up, you see? I was the one who handled all of that back in our company."

Seteth nodded. "I see." He glanced towards me and said, "Well, I wish you luck in your continued choice of career then, Professor."

"Ha ha."

I shook my head and then glanced around the room.

It seemed like Hanneman and Manuela had arrived ahead of me.

The Crest Scholar was seated at the table already, enjoying a cup of coffee poured from metal thermos. He noticed me approaching and waved, a smile on his face.

"Good morning, Byleth!" When he saw my face, his smile turned into a frown. "…I hope that you have not been having too much trouble with your classes." He shook his head and said, "I must admit, I do feel a bit guilty about shifting the burden of the cadets to your class."

"It's fine." I shrugged and stopped beside him to talk. "More time for you to focus on our project, right?"

My dad walked around the table to the right of the main chair where the Archbishop was supposed to sit. However, instead of taking a seat immediately beside that chair, he pointedly sat down a few seats over.

I frowned at seeing that, but before I could think much on it, Seteth walked over to us and said, "Project?"

The green-haired advisor looked between me and Hanneman with a frown on his face. "Is this something I should know about?"

I shook my head. "It's… complicated, but essentially we're working on saving Edelgard."

"Ah." Seteth nodded. "Yes, Miss Hresvelg… or rather, the soon to be Miss Eisner. I do recall her condition being quite precarious… If that is the case, you need not say any more." His eyes became distant and he said, "I understand all too well the wish to save someone dear to your heart."

Hanneman's face became somber as well and he said, "Indeed. The pain of losing one that you love…" He looked to me with fire in his eyes. "Rest assured, Byleth. I will do my very best so that you never have to undergo such an experience."

I smiled. "Thanks, Hanneman. I appreciate it."

Seteth nodded. "I will keep Miss Hresvelg in my prayers… Ah. Speaking of your fiancée." He looked to me and said, "Have you decided upon a reception date for the wedding yet? Or do you plan to delay it until after graduation?"

I groaned and said, "Could we please not talk about that right now? I don't want to have to plan a wedding as well amidst all of my other work."

From across the table, my dad frowned. "It's a bit late to be scared about commitment now, Kid. Besides, you two are already married on record anyway. The ceremony's just a formality at this point."

I froze.

Seteth did as well before slowly turning to look at my dad. "What did you just say, Jeralt?"

I nodded. "Right. What are you talking about, Dad?"

"Hm?" He frowned and then said, "Oh. You were being slow about it, so I went ahead and filed the marriage license the other day." He shifted his gaze to the advisor standing beside me and then smirked. "And you should know this, Seteth. After all, I brought it to you to stamp for approval."

Seteth pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "Was _that_ the paper that you barged into my room late last night and insisted that I approve? The one that you brought mere moments before I fell asleep?"

My dad shrugged. "Hey. Not my fault you're not more cautious about these things." He leaned back in his chair and said, "You need to be more attentive."

Seteth sighed and said, "I am glad that Rhea has returned. At the least she can be the one to deal with this mess… I will be happy if I can just stick to the usual chaos of running the Church of Seiros and keeping it afloat." He shook his head and then started walking around to the other side of the table.

After he did, I turned my attention to the final person in the room. The one seated to the left of Hanneman.

Manuela looked absolutely miserable. She placed her head against the table, her face turned to the side, and looked like she was regretting everything in her life. Her right arm was slumped over the tabletop and she clutched her silver flask in her hands, as if using it as a lifeline.

I cautiously took a seat beside her and said, "Long night, Manuela?"

She groaned and lifted her head up. "Why couldn't you have just gone easy on my students, Byleth? Now I have to deal with Hilda complaining every morning and Claude making snide remarks for the rest of the year."

Hanneman adjusted his monocle and said, "That is the result of your own actions, Manuela. Perhaps if you were not so stubborn-"

"Oh shut it, old geezer. You only have to deal with the officers in your class. I've got to handle all the cadets too, you know? If I did that, they'd think they could step all over me."

"…Hm. I suppose you do give off a weak presence."

Manuela sat up straight and crossed her arms. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

Hanneman shrugged. "I only mean to say that you are not the most sterling example of a professor."

"And you are, Mister Independent Study?"

"It is not my fault that my students are self-sufficient. Besides, I offer guidance when requested."

Manuela scoffed.

I decided to interrupt before either of them got into their usual tirade. "In any case… Where's Rhea?" I looked around and said, "I don't see her anywhere."

Seteth sat down at the chair to the left of where Rhea was supposed to sit and then said, "She should return any moment now. I believe she mentioned that she had to retrieve something before you arrived."

I frowned.

Retrieve something? What could-

My thoughts were cut off by the sound of the doors opening again. I turned around to see a familiar woman with long light green hair walk inside the room.

Rhea looked the same as ever, serene and dressed in her flowing white robes. When she noticed me, she smiled and said, "My dear Byleth! I see that you've finally arrived!"

I nodded, but my attention was elsewhere. Specifically, it was on what Rhea was carrying with her.

Like I said, Rhea looked the same as ever… but she was carrying something odd. A large metal box that looked to be made from mithril or some other precious ore.

From a casual glance, it must have been heavy. The box was almost half Rhea's height. Yet she easily carried it, clutching the sides and holding it close to her like she was hugging it.

"…What's that for?"

Rhea walked over to the tables and then placed the box on the floor beside it. After that, she shook her head and said, "It is a long story, something I will explain afterward. For now, however, we have quite a bit to discuss." She took her seat and then said, "Now… Shall we begin?"

The room became silent.

Seeing that, Rhea nodded and then said, "First of all, I want to congratulate Byleth for leading the Black Eagles to victory." She looked at me and smiled. "While I was not able to attend the mock battle, from what Seteth tells me, you did quite well in adapting to the unexpected changes that Claude wrought."

I shook my head. "I wouldn't put it like that. If anything, I was just on par with the other students in the fight."

"There is no need to be modest, Byleth," Rhea said.

"I'm not being modest." I let out a frustrated sigh and said, "Holding back is… difficult."

Hanneman nodded. "Yes. I suppose that must be the case for one like you."

Manuela rolled her eyes. "If it's so hard holding back, next time just let me and the Golden Deer win, mmkay? It'll save all of us trouble."

Rhea laughed. "A bit competitive, are we, Manuela?"

The songstress shook her head and said, "Just expressing my honest opinions, Lady Rhea."

"If only your work was honest," Hanneman grumbled.

Manuela glared at him.

Rhea shook her head and said, "Well, if that is how you feel about the matter, Byleth, I suppose we will leave it at that. Moving on… I wish to thank all of you for keeping the students and the monastery safe in my absence." She frowned and said, "From what I hear, quite a few events have happened since I departed… as well as a joyous occasion."

Her gaze settled on me, an amused look in her eyes.

I coughed and averted my gaze.

Manuela laughed and said, "You shouldn't try to hide it, Professor. While the students might be guessing about Miss Hresvelg's mystery fiancé, all of us here know full well who he really is."

I frowned and rubbed the back of my neck. "It's… still a bit awkward to bring up casually, alright?"

My dad shook his head and said, "Just own up to it already, Kid. That's what I did with your mother and everything turned out fine."

"Fine?" Rhea gave my dad a blank look and said, "Jeralt. Were it not for your long history and reputation as my esteemed knight, I highly doubt things would have turned out well."

"Hmph." My dad crossed his arms and said, "And what would you know about that, Rhea?"

Rhea narrowed her eyes. "I know that your wife was one of the most devout holy maidens in the Church of Seiros. I also know that you not only went out of your way to seduce her, but you even filed a marriage certificate under my nose without my approval." She paused, suddenly realizing something, and then glared at my dad. "Do not tell me that you did the same for Byleth and Miss Hresvelg, Jeralt."

My dad shifted his gaze to the side and whistled.

Rhea glanced at Seteth.

The advisor sighed and then nodded his head.

Rhea pinched the bridge of her nose and said, "You are fortunate that Iris is not around, Jeralt. Were she to hear of your antics…"

My dad flinched, but then his face smoothed out into the indiscernible look of Jeralt Reus Eisner. "Maybe. Or she might be happy that I'm being a good parent and supporting our kid, unlike a certain person we all know."

That time, Rhea flinched.

Manuela glanced between Rhea and my dad and said, "I feel like I'm missing something here…"

Hanneman frowned and nodded. "Yes. Iris, is it? The name is familiar, but I can't seem to place it."

My dad sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It's… complicated."

Rhea shook her head. "Must you be so evasive, Jeralt?" She sighed and then looked over to Manuela and Hanneman. "To answer your questions, Iris is my daughter… as well as Jeralt's deceased wife."

Hanneman's eyes widened. "That… explains quite a great deal. If Byleth is the grandson of the Archbishop who received enlightenment from the Goddess herself, then…"

Manuela blinked and then said, "Wait. You had a daughter, Lady Rhea?"

Seteth nodded and then gave Rhea a pointed look. "Indeed. I was unaware that you had any descendants, my dear… friend."

The Archbishop's face froze, remorse flickering in her eyes for a brief moment. After that, she let out a long sigh and said, "I did indeed have a daughter. A beautiful, bright, cheerful, and talented child who deserved more love than what I gave her."

My dad grunted. "Now you say that…"

Seteth frowned. It looked like he wanted to say something, but he realized that this wasn't the time or place to speak it.

I coughed and then said, "While I'd love to stick around and talk about the past, especially if it involved finding more about my mother, _someone_ shackled me with having to teach thirty students." I glared at Seteth.

He smiled back.

I shook my head and said, "I'd appreciate it if we could speed things up."

After all, I still needed to rehearse my lecture notes, catch Lysithea up to speed, finish the quiz answer sheet…

Rhea sighed. "My apologies, Byleth." She shook her head and said, "Then… I will move onto the next topic and the main purpose of this meeting." She folded her hands together and placed them on the table before glancing at Seteth.

He nodded and then said, "As you all know, the political climate in Fodlan is currently in a precarious state. In this time, it will not do to have those affiliated with Garreg Mach Monastery simply hide behind its walls. Thus, each house will have a mission venturing out beyond these hallowed walls. Of course, due to the potential dangers lying in wait, a Knight of Seiros will be accompanying each house in addition to the professors on the missions."

Rhea nodded. "As he says." She sighed and said, "While I wish that the students could simply study in peace for a while longer until Fodlan's situation stabilizes… it would show weakness to the outside powers." Her face darkened and she said, "Considering that vile man become Emperor Regent, such a situation is unacceptable."

I frowned. "Vile man? You mean Edelgard's uncle?" I paused and said, "…I take it the meeting in Enbarr didn't go well?"

Rhea shook her head. "On the contrary, the meeting with Lord Arundel and myself went fine. He was extremely polite and made his position quite clear. Quite."

That… didn't sound good.

"But enough of that man," Rhea said. "Allow me to explain the missions for each house this upcoming month." She looked to Manuela and said, "The Golden Deer will head to Derdriu to fulfill a request forwarded by the Eastern Church. It appears that pirates have been causing havoc at the center of House Riegan's territory recently and they requested aid from the Knights of Seiros."

"Derdriu, huh?" Manuela frowned. "I've wanted to visit it again recently, but to go like this… Well, I suppose Claude should be able to deal with things. I just have to sit back and make sure my little deerlings stay alive."

"You're placing quite a great deal of faith in your student, Manuela," Hanneman said.

Manuela scoffed. "Were you half-asleep during the mock battle old man? If it wasn't for Byleth being such a wild card, we would have won. Or did you forget how the 'fruits of your labor' were shut down by a mere student?"

"Why you-!"

Seteth cleared his throat.

Hanneman sighed and shook his head. "My apologies."

Rhea continued. "For reinforcement, Shamir will be traveling with the Golden Deer. She is familiar with the Alliance territory and well-versed in scouting, so it should prove enough to keep you and your students safe. The request is urgent, however, so it would be best to gather your students and prepare to leave within the week if possible."

"So soon?" Manuela said. "But I can see why, I guess… Well, I suppose I'll just have to shift things around again…"

Rhea shifted her gaze. "Next… Hanneman."

"Yes, Lady Rhea."

"You will lead the Blue Lions to the Duscur region of the Kingdom. It seems that the chaos granted by the disappearance of the Regent King has provided an opportunity for insurgents to attempt and rebel. Viscount Kleiman, the one ruling over the region, has sent requests for aid to both the capital and the church, but it seems that only we are capable of answering it."

Hanneman frowned. "Insurgents? In Duscur?" His eyes widened and he said, "I see. The Duscur survivors must have seen this as the perfect time to reclaim their land."

Rhea nodded. "That is so. And with the chaos in Faerghus at the moment, they will either succeed… or be completely wiped out." She sighed and said, "I recently received word from Catherine that she had diverted her task to try and help quell the conflict along with her knights but the situation is precarious. While I do not doubt her abilities, especially as she has Thunderbrand with her, I cannot say the same for the people living in the region."

Hanneman nodded. "Rest assured. We will do our best to resolve the situation. I believe young Dedue and Dimitri will prove useful in settling it peacefully." He frowned. "Barring that… While the loss of life is regrettable, it does provide an opportunity to test out other facets of my recent research…"

Manuela frowned. "That's quite cold of you, isn't it, old man?"

Hanneman shook his head. "It may be so, but one cannot achieve anything without sacrifice."

I felt a chill run through my heart at his words. "That's a dangerous line of thought there, Hanneman."

He smiled and said, "Rest assured, Byleth. I know where to draw the line."

"…So long as you do."

Hanneman nodded. "Furthermore… I believe that I will allow Dimitri to take the lead in this mission. While I may be skilled with overall strategy, young Dimitri has an uncanny charisma and ability to persuade people." He frowned and said, "Hopefully, the situation can be resolved without much bloodshed."

Rhea nodded. "We can only hope so, Hanneman. Ah, and for your reinforcement, I will be sending Alois to join you and the Blue Lions."

Hanneman placed a hand on his chin. "Alois, is it? Hm. Perhaps this will turn out well after all…"

After that, Rhea turned to me.

I stared back.

"As for the Black Eagles…"

I tensed.

What were we going to be doing? A trip to the Empire? Following everyone else's pattern, that was obvious, right?

Rhea continued. "Anna, a trusted merchant and supplier of Garreg Mach Monastery, has requested some aid from us in a potential business venture. While a bit unusual, the Church is… unfortunately quite lacking in finances recently, so we accepted."

"Wait." I frowned and said, "You… want me and my students to participate in mercenary work?"

Seteth coughed. "I would not quite put it that way… but yes. You will be aiding Miss Anna under the pretense of sharing a portion of her profits."

My frown deepened.

My dad smiled and said, "Relax, Kid. I'll be the one coming along with you this time, so you don't need to worry about your precious students getting hurt."

I shook my head. "It's not that. Just… I was expecting there to be a request from the Empire for the Black Eagles, like with the other houses." I glanced at Rhea.

She stared at me, surprised, and then slowly nodded. "I admit, there is a request from the Empire… But dear Byleth. Do you truly believe it is a good idea to venture into hostile territory with his students? Let alone after becoming engaged to the future Adrestrian Emperor?"

"…What did he ask?"

Rhea shook her head. "It doesn't matter. The request was impossible in any case, so I declined it."

"Won't that cause troubles?"

Rhea sighed. "That may very well be the case. But if it is so, then so be it." She frowned. "I will not risk having my remaining family-" She cut herself off and then shook her head. After smoothing her features, she said, "…That concludes today's meeting. Seteth? Anything to add?"

He nodded. "I will have a detailed report on each mission sent out by the end of the day. As for when to report on results, the deadline is, as always, the end of the month. Beyond that… I have nothing else to add."

Manuela got up and stretched. After that, she said, "Since we're going to leave on such short notice, I think I'll head on first to prepare my deerlings." She frowned and said, "I also need to stock up on some vulneraries and concoctions too… and shift around my lesson plans." Saying that, she left.

Hanneman nodded and stood up as well. "I will also take my leave. If events are as chaotic as I fear they are, I will need to prepare some safety measures as well as inform my students." He placed a hand on his chin and said, "Young Dimitri and Dedue will likely want some time to discuss what they wish to do, so it would be best to tell them ahead of our departure… And departing… Hm. Perhaps next week would be best…" Muttering to himself, the Crest Scholar walked out of the room, heading towards the classrooms.

I got up to leave as well, but then Rhea called out.

"Ah, Byleth. Would you wait a moment? Seteth, you as well. And Jeralt, of course. There is something I wish to discuss with all of you."

I hesitated, but then nodded and sat back down.

Rhea waited for a bit so that Hanneman and Manuela could leave, but when the two left the room completely, she waved her hand. Wards, silence spells, and other precautionary magical countermeasures flared to life, obscuring the room.

I frowned. "What's going on here?"

Seteth frowned as well. "Yes, Rhea. What is it that is so important it drives you to take such caution?"

Rhea paused and then walked around the tables back to the metal box she left on the ground. Picking it up, she placed it on the table next to me and then glanced at my dad.

He frowned and crossed his arms, pointedly looking away from Rhea.

She sighed and then shook her head. Afterwards, she looked to me and said, "Do you remember when I set out to Zanado to reconvene with Jeralt?"

I slowly nodded. "Yes." I paused and said, "Dad never did tell me what happened there."

Seteth's eyes widened. "You said that Zanado was calling you, Rhea. You mean to say that it truly was?"

"In a way. As for what exactly was calling me…" She opened the box and reached inside, pulling something out.

When I saw it, I froze.

It was a robe, shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow. It also looked to be woven from flowers, countless blossoms carefully sewn together.

Familiar flowers.

Seeing them, I reflexively said their name. "Priphea flowers?"

Rhea smiled, a sad expression that didn't match her usual serene air. "You recognize it, I see."

Seteth shook his head. "I… do not understand, Rhea. What does that robe have to do with Zanado?"

Rhea sighed and gently unpacked the rest of the box.

A pair of emerald boots, a glistening crystal drop, a yellow moonstone.

I didn't recognize them, but in the corner of my eyes, I could see my dad barely holding back his anger.

Rhea shook her head and said, "There are Iris's finest works. Items that she imbued with divine power and gifted to me."

Hearing that, my dad snapped. "_Now _you acknowledge that they're your gifts and not to the goddess?" He laughed, a cold sound, and said, "You had me fooled, placing them in that dusty ruin for any old bandit to find."

"I was honoring my daughter's devotion to the Goddess!" Rhea shook her head and said, "Next to the Holy Tomb, Zanado is the most sacred place to keep such divine items! Furthermore, they were under plenty of protections!"

My dad scoffed. "If that's what you call protection then I wonder how safe the monastery really is." He narrowed his eyes and said, "After all, bandits managed to get inside Zanado and not only steal my wife's greatest works, but also ruin the flowers she painstakingly planted to honor the goddess! And don't even get me started on how you were keeping those items to 'honor' your daughter's devotion."

Rhea flinched. "That…"

My dad shook his head and said, "Whatever. I'm done here."

"Jerry-"

He glared at Rhea and said, "Do _not_ call me that. You don't have the right after what you did to her." After that, my dad left, marching out of the room without even giving me a glance.

Seteth stared after him and then turned to look at Rhea. "…What did you do, Rhea? Jeralt is not a man to lose his temper so easily."

I nodded.

Dad… I had seen him angry before, but never like that. The way he acted… it was similar to how I reacted whenever someone tried to hurt Delly-

I froze, suddenly realizing something. I glanced at Rhea.

She caught my gaze and then looked away. "Byleth, I…" She sighed, seeming to age decades and then shook her head, remaining quiet.

"Rhea." Seteth stared at the Archbishop and quietly said, "What did you do?"

She shook her head and said, "What I thought was necessary at the time, Seteth… and something I dearly regret."

Seteth narrowed his eyes.

Rhea turned to look at me and said, "You are free to go, Byleth. I am sure you have more important things to do than to spend it here… Ah. But before I forget." She turned to Seteth and said, "I wish to formally acknowledge Byleth as my grandson and heir. Would you be so kind as to do the proper paperwork for that, Seteth?"

I froze. "Hold on. You're… formally acknowledging me as your grandson?"

Rhea looked hurt. "Do you not wish for me to? If so…"

I shook my head. "Not that I mind, but…" I stared at her and frowned.

Rhea… I couldn't seem to read her these days. The obsessive woman that I thought she was, the one that I had met initially… she was nowhere to be seen. Instead… the serene and ageless beauty had become a haunted and remorseful woman.

Why?

…I was missing something here. I was sure of it. But… what exactly? And was my mother responsible for it?

Before I could think any more on it, Rhea smiled and said, "I am glad you think you agree. After all, what better union could there be than one between Wilhelm's descendant and my own? Such a blessed pairing is one that not even that vile man can dare intervene."

Seteth blinked and then said, "Well… I suppose that is indeed one way to solve the situation between Miss Hresvelg and the Professor."

Rhea nodded. "Indeed… Furthermore, I can also uphold my promise to Wilhelm to-" She cut herself off and then shook her head. After that, she looked at me and said, "My apologies, Byleth. But like the other topic, this will have to wait until later."

"…Fine. But I want to hear the whole story at some point."

I needed to. There was… a lot going on that wasn't making sense. And with what Stella mentioned to me earlier about time stabilizing… Somehow, I had a feeling that it was important.

Rhea smiled. "I promise. Now… I believe you have students to tend to?"

I sighed. "Regrettably."

Rhea nodded. "In that case, I suggest you hurry off to fulfill your duties." She glanced at the green-haired man standing beside her and said, "As for Seteth and I… there is a long overdue conversation we must have."

"Indeed, Rhea. There is… much to discuss." Seteth narrowed his eyes. "And much you have left out, it would appear."

Rhea sighed.

Seeing that, I decided to leave the two alone and headed off to my classroom.

Hopefully the rest of the day would be normal…

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

A bit more foreshadowing and setup. Kudos to people who figure out what events the Blue Lions and Golden Deer missions are referencing to. It should be fairly obvious, but points either way.

Still getting back into the flow of things. I've been working on other projects recently, so I'm doing a bit of shuffling to get writing this story in as well. Might have late updates like this for a while.

Anyway, thanks for reading and leaving your input on the last chapter! I really need to get around to replying sometime, but I'm regrettably extremely busy... I will say that I really enjoy reading them though, and always appreciate it.

I hope the chapter was enjoyable!

Have a good day and I'll see you soon!


	68. News

After leaving the faculty meeting, the first thing I did was to grab my notes and then head off to the Black Eagles classroom.

As expected, Lysithea was already waiting there for me. Maybe since she was unused to me being her professor, or maybe since she was intensely curious about my teaching methods, the moment I handed her my notes about the lectures I did and what I thought about her fighting and skills from what I saw in the mock battle, Lysithea immediately plopped herself down at the seat just in front of my podium in the front row.

I shook my head and then settled down while waiting for everyone else to arrive. Well, everyone else being my core group of students led by Edelgard.

When everyone was present, I succinctly summed up our mission for the month. Namely that we'd basically be doing mercenary work for Anna, the general plan of what was to come, warnings…

"…And that's our mission for the month."

I finished summing up the latest bit of news and then looked around the room.

With Lysithea's presence, the seating arrangement was shifted around again.

While the latest Black Eagle didn't move from her spot in front of the podium, it meant that others had to move to accommodate her.

Edelgard sat to the right of Lysithea, the princess no doubt intending to build rapport with a fellow victim of the Agarthans.

Then, to Edelgard's right, was Stella. My dear sister seemed to be obsessed with her inevitable… Well, technically already official sister-in-law.

Behind those three sat Ferdinand, Bernie, and Petra.

The orange-haired noble was sitting directly behind Lysithea, in the middle of the desk and between the two girls.

Bernie sat to Ferdinand's right, scribbling away at a sketchbook, while Petra was on his left, jotting down what I just said in her notebook.

In the third row of seats were the remaining students from my core group: Caspar, Dorothea, Linhardt, and Hubert, all sitting in that order from the inner aisle seat down.

Linhardt yawned, his head bobbing up and down as he struggled to stay awake. It seemed like he wanted nothing more than to collapse and nap.

Unfortunately, Hubert was to his left and determined to have Linhardt stay awake. Whenever Linhardt's head dipped a bit too low, Hubert subtly conjured up a thin dark spike and placed it below Linhardt's chin.

Needless to say, it was a painful lesson that Linhardt immediately took to heart after the first time.

As for Caspar and Dorothea… Well, the blue-haired brawler was being teased as usual by the former idol.

After placing another subtle dark spike for Linhardt, Hubert glanced over to me and said, "So we will be aiding Miss Anna for our mission, will we? Hm… I suppose her services _are_ essential to the monastery's continued operation. Still, to request aid from the church itself…"

Caspar grinned and said, "Miss Anna just knows the best people for the job. And finally! Some real action!" He pumped his fist up and said, "No more training and holding back!"

Dorothea frowned and said, "You seem a bit too eager for the mission, Caspar. It's probably going to be safe with Professor and Captain Jeralt there… But we might have to kill people, you know?"

Caspar nodded. "That's great! I can finally test out my skills on the battlefield in a life or death situation!"

Dorothea grimaced. "That…"

Hubert shook his head and then glanced at Caspar. "Quite the enthusiasm you have there… But you should be careful. With your habit of shouting in battle, it's more likely that you'll cause your own death when you attract enemy attention."

Caspar shrugged. "Well that's what you're here for, right, Hubert? I'm no good at the tactics and sneaky stuff, but you are. Besides, I think you're skilled enough to work around me not changing, right?"

"…Sometimes, Caspar, I cannot tell if you are a dense prodigy or merely a fool who luckily spouts wisdom on the odd occasion."

"Hm?"

Linhardt yawned and said, "Killing, huh? I'll pass."

Hubert raised an eyebrow. "You will not have a choice, Linhardt. Unlike the safe grounds of the monastery or the cozy capital, outside true danger lurks." He paused and said, "I am aware that pacifism runs in your family's line due to their history of governing domestic affairs, but even your father was no stranger to killing. To think that you can be do otherwise is folly."

Linhardt frowned.

Ferdinand turned around and said, "You should not be so harsh on Linhardt, Hubert. Not everyone is as heartless as you, after all."

"Heh." Hubert shook his head. "Better to be heartless and live than empathetic and die."

Ferdinand frowned. "…Those are the words of one who has given up on his fellow man."

Hubert laughed. "After what I've seen, how could I trust my fellow man?" He shook his head and said, "The only one that I truly trust is Lady Edelgard… and by extension the Professor." He paused. "…No. That is not completely true. I suppose that I can at least trust my life to my peers… Barring Caspar, of course."

"Hey!"

Bernie groaned and then pulled up her hood. After that, she glanced at me and said, "Can I stay home for this one, Professor? It's just some mercenary work… You're the expert, so you won't need all of us. Right?"

"If only that were the case." I sighed.

In all honesty, I would allow it. The less students I brought along with me, the more I could be certain I could protect them. Not to discount either their skills or my father's, but with everything happening, it was better to be cautious.

"Unfortunately… I don't think Seteth would allow that."

Bernie groaned. "Might as well kill me now and get it over with then."

Petra frowned and looked at Bernie. "That is not the fighting spirit, Bernadetta. Do you… truly seek death? Hearing that… saddens me."

Bernie quickly shook her head. "No, no! It's just an expression, Petra! Bernie's still got too much to live for! Like convincing Caspar to elope with me so I don't have to do paperwork!"

Petra stopped frowning and then narrowed her eyes. "I am already saying that I have dibs on Caspar. There is being a great deal- There is a great deal of karma between us that must be settled."

Bernie narrowed her eyes as well and lowered her hood. "W-Well I won't lose! Bernie isn't going to live a life filled with paperwork!"

Dorothea laughed and turned towards Caspar. "Looks like you're quite the charmer, big bro. Maybe I should invite you out for tea too?"

Caspar groaned and placed his head against his desk. "I've already got a headache dealing with those two, Dorothea. If you join in…" He paused and then sat up. "Wait. Weren't you trying to get with the Professor?"

Dorothea glanced over to me. "Well… What do you think, Professor?"

I froze.

Between everything that had happened, I forgot that Dorothea's apparently not so serious flirting and teasing actually had serious intent behind it.

Edelgard sighed. "Stop teasing him, Dora. Our Professor is dealing with enough stress as it is."

I smiled. "Thank you, Edelgard."

She nodded and then turned back to face Dorothea. "Besides, talk about additional lovers is something that can come after I've consummated our union with the Professor."

"Oh?" Dorothea smiled. "You mean there's a chance I can join in?"

"Well, if it's you, Dora…" Edelgard turned back around, a sly smile on her face.

Seeing that, I sighed and shook my head. "Where did the naïve and proud princess I met disappear to?"

"She became your fiancée and got used to your merciless teasing."

Well… she got me there.

Lysithea glanced between me and Edelgard before frowning. After that, she looked at me and said, "Professor. Is homeroom always this…"

"Rowdy?" Edelgard asked.

Lysithea shook her head and said, "Chaotic." She paused and then said, "And is it normal to discuss seducing the professor?"

I choked, caught off-guard by Lysithea's words.

Stella laughed and then placed her right arm on the table, propping up her head to look at Lysithea. "How amusing. I do believe that you and I shall get along quite well, Lysithea."

"Hm?" Lysithea tilted her head. "…I'm grateful?"

Edelgard shook her head and said, "You don't have to worry, Lysithea. Today's a bit of an exception… Everyone is usually much more composed."

Lysithea turned around to look at the others.

Petra narrowed her eyes and said, "If you are wishing to avoid paperwork, I am willing to be offering a role in Brigid for you. But you must be avoiding Caspar."

Bernie shook her head. "Bernie won't fall for that trick! You'll take me there and then off me and throw me in a ditch somewhere!"

"…I am never doing that to a friend, Bernadetta."

"You hesitated!"

Lysithea turned her head back around and then said, "I… Suppose I'll just have to take your word for it, Edelgard. Ah, but I am curious…" She glanced at me and then said, "I heard the rumors, but with what you said…" She looked back at Edelgard and said, "Does this mean that Professor Byleth is engaged to you?"

I frowned. "You mean Claude never told you guys? I would have thought that guy would have done so by now."

Lysithea scoffed. "As if that guy tells us anything. Always acting like a know-it-all… And the irritating thing is that he actually seems to know a lot about us too. Hmph." She shook her head. "The others might be able to deal with that, but I sure won't." She paused and then said, "My apologies. What were we discussing again?"

Huh. It seemed like Claude was making the typical mistake of time travel and using knowledge that he shouldn't have… Though he's probably disguising it as an extensive information network. Looks like he didn't consider the human element of it too much though considering he drove Lysithea to me.

But enough of that. I had to answer Lysithea.

I shrugged and then said, "To answer your question… I suppose I might as well tell you since Rhea will announce it later, but yes, I'm Edelgard's fiancé."

Edelgard froze and then looked at me. "Lady Rhea? Announce?"

I ignored her for the moment and gauged Lysithea's reaction.

"Hm." The young dark magic user frowned and said, "I might not have the best understanding of Fodlan's political climate, but for the future Adrestrian Emperor to be engaged to a nameless mercenary, no matter how skilled… That's a problem, isn't it?"

"Ah. I should probably mention that part too." I glanced at the door. It was open… What I was going to say wouldn't be too big of a deal if it got out, but it was better to have it officially spread than through the rumor mill.

I walked over and closed the door before moving back to my podium.

When I did, I saw that everyone was looking at me. It seemed that my motion didn't go unnoticed.

"Now it's going to get out eventually, but let's keep this between us for now, alright?"

Lysithea's eyes widened and she gave me a determined nod. "Rest assured, Professor! I'll uphold your trust!"

Caspar placed his hands behind his head and said, "Yeah, yeah. Just spill the beans already, Prof!"

Dorothea frowned. "That's rude, Caspar… But I'm curious too." She looked at me and said, "What is it, Professor?"

"Rhea's formally acknowledging me as her grandson and heir, as well as blessing the engagement and marriage between me and Edelgard."

The room instantly became quiet. Deathly silent, almost. But then, just as suddenly, it burst into an uproar.

"WHAT!?" Dorothea got up and jabbed a finger at me. "You're Lady Rhea's grandson!?"

Bernie gasped and then let out a happy shriek. "I knew it! A match made in heaven, blessed by the Goddess herself… Where's my pen! I need to write this down!"

Caspar laughed. "I knew Prof was special! The Archbishop's grandson, huh? Wait." He frowned and said, "That means Stella is her granddaughter…" He narrowed his eyes and then punched his hand into his palm. "Looks like I'll need to crack a few skulls soon…"

Stella rolled her eyes. "I appreciate the enthusiasm, Caspar, as well as the sentiment. But one overprotective brother is enough, thank you."

"Aw, thanks, Stella! I think of you like my sister too!"

My dear sister frowned and said, "Selectively picking the topics that you hear as always, I see…"

Ferdinand placed a hand on his chin and stared at me. "The grandson of Lady Rhea, hm? Now that you mention it, I can see the resemblance… and there is your calming presence as well."

Linhardt yawned. "Calming. Right. If only he'd be compassionate enough to let me skip lectures…"

Lysithea frowned. "You hear that our Professor is the grandson of Lady Rhea herself and the first thought is to skip his lectures, Linhardt? Are you out of your mind?"

Linhardt shook his head and said, "Only out of sleep. Sleep… Sle…"

"Ahem." Hubert glanced at Linhardt, subtly forming another dark spike.

Linhardt jerked back to attention and let out a long sigh.

After watching everyone else's reaction, I turned my gaze to the one most affected by the news.

Edelgard stared at me, her eyes wide in shock.

I glanced at her and said, "What. Don't tell me that you're actually surprised, Delly."

She shook her head, completely quiet with an unreadable emotion on her face. After that, she stood up and slowly walked over to me.

I frowned, somewhat concerned at her odd behavior.

It seemed that everyone else was too since they got quiet.

Edelgard came to a stop in front of me, a single step away. With a blank look on her face, she looked up at me and whispered, "Is that true?"

I smiled. "Have I lied to you?" I paused and then added, "Er… Recently, that is."

Edelgard shook her head. "Did Lady Rhea really bless our marriage? Did she truly approve of us being together?"

I scratched the back of my head. "Yeah, it surprised me too, actually. I would have thought that Rhea-"

Before I could finish, Edelgard stepped forward and hugged me.

I froze, confused at the sudden public display of affection.

Dorothea gasped. "Wait! This means that Edie can actually go out in public with Professor!"

Ferdinand's eyes widened. "That is right! With the Professor's status as the Archbishop's heir and having the union blessed by her, even the staunchest opposition will have to remain silent!"

Hubert hummed. "That does indeed solve the issues of Lady Edelgard's reputation… And it also does quite wonderfully in tying down that man's plans…"

Petra nodded and said, "That is being wonderful news! This is meaning that Edelgard and the Professor can be dates!"

Dorothea laughed. "I think you mean that they can go on dates, Petra… But you're right! And you know what this means?"

"Ooh, ooh!" Bernie peeped up and said, "Do we finally get to use that plan for the date between Edelgard and the Professor that Stella talked about?"

Stella's eyes widened and she rounded on the violet haired archer. "Bernadetta! That was a secret!"

Bernie flinched. "S-Sorry! I just got so excited and I…" She trailed off, her words devolving into mumbles.

With that, the classroom was filled with the sound of conversation as everyone went over my latest bit of news and its potential implications.

During that time, Edelgard finally released me from her hug. As she did though, she sighed. And not a sigh of relief.

I frowned. "…Don't tell me you're not happy about this?"

Edelgard shook her head. "Don't misunderstand me, my teacher- No." She smiled and said, "I suppose I can simply call you my love now."

I felt my cheeks warm up on hearing that, but somehow managed to keep a straight face. Still, I wasn't about to let that embarrassing jab fly by unanswered. "As long as I get to call you Delly in front of everyone, my lovely princess."

She laughed.

I frowned.

It seemed like she really did built up resistance to that… Maybe it was time to start carrying pastries around…

Edelgard sighed again and said, "It's not that I'm upset, but… I was hoping to resolve the situation by myself." She frowned and said, "It's a bit frustrating. You seem to keep taking on my burdens for yourself and solving them… It makes me feel guilty." She looked up at me and said, "You've already done so much and I-"

"Stop that." I shook my head and said, "For your sake, Delly… No. My Edelgard. For you, nothing is too much. Got that?"

Edelgard's eyes widened and she turned a deep red. She opened her mouth a few times, but after failing to say anything, she simply nodded and lowered her gaze.

Seeing that, I felt my cheeks warm up and I looked away as well.

At that time, Lysithea spoke up. "Um… It's not that I want to interrupt, but are lessons going to start soon?"

Edelgard laughed. "Well, it's clear that you have your priorities straightened out, Lysithea." She turned to me and said, "But she has a point, my love. It will not be long until the cadets arrive." She glanced at my podium and said, "Perhaps you might wish to review your lesson plans one more time?"

I sighed. "Bossing me around already, huh? Maybe I should have taken up Dorothea's offer instead…"

Dorothea immediately responded. "It's still open, Professor!"

Edelgard rolled her eyes and pushed me to the podium. "Go back to your duties, Professor. As for us…" She smiled and said, "We can discuss it later. Perhaps over dinner?"

I nodded. "It's a date."

Edelgard smiled and walked back to her desk… and then she immediately got swarmed by the others.

I shook my head and picked up my notes.

She had a point. I should probably make sure everything was ready… and get into the proper mindset for teaching.

But still…

"A date, huh?" I muttered. "I wonder if I should ask Dad for some advice…?"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

A bit of a filler chapter after the developments last chapter. Following this, we'll have a bit of fluff, maybe a monastery chapter or two, and then jump into the mission. At least, that's the plan... we'll see how things go.

Still rearranging my schedule. Hope you don't mind these late uploads.

As always, thanks for reading and leaving your input. I probably sound like a broken record, but I always enjoy reading them.

Hope this chapter was enjoyable and I'll see you soon!


	69. Nice

"It's been a while since we had a meal together, huh, Kid?"

I sighed and took a bite from my fish sandwich. "The downsides of being a Professor, it seems. No free time."

My dad laughed. "Heh. I can imagine… Seeing you run around these past few days has been a new experience, at least. Reminds me of when I first started as the Captain here all those years ago… Didn't know a damned thing about what I was doing."

I nodded and took a sip from my cup of juice.

After morning lectures, I invited my dad out for lunch. Well, I say invited, but it was more like I barged into his office with a pair of sandwiches and some juice.

The two of us were sitting at his desk, with his paperwork roughly tossed to the ground beside it. Not that it mattered anyway considering that he didn't do any of it.

My dad took a swig from his drink of choice, a bit of mead kept in a wooden flask, and said, "So what's this about? Not like you to be the one to ask me out to eat. Usually I'm the one who's gotta drag you out to get food."

I paused for a moment, mulling over my thoughts, and then said, "I need some life counseling, Dad."

"Life counseling?" He frowned. "Well, dunno about counseling you… but if you need advice, your old man's got plenty of tips. Especially when it comes to women."

"Great. So… What's the best way to have a date with someone?"

My dad looked at me.

I looked back.

After a moment, he shook his head. "You… Huh. I was half-joking there, but you're really asking me to give you dating advice?"

I sighed. "If I had any other person I could ask, I would, but sadly, you're the best bet."

Hanneman was smart, but he wasn't the social or forward type when it came to romance.

Manuela… well, her idea of a date tended to end with her crying in tears, so that was out.

Seteth was a widower and also out of touch with the times due to his job and true identity.

Any of the students around the monastery were terrible choices for advice, and it would also immediately get out to Hubert, which would in turn lead to Edelgard finding out, thus defeating the purpose of me asking around.

I could ask some of the mercenaries in our troop like Clark… but their idea of 'romance' usually ended with a one night stand and running as fast as they could. The only exception to that was Clark who was dumb enough to break that rule of "don't date your coworkers".

Thus, I had to resort to my dad.

…Well, in hindsight I could have asked Alois, but I hadn't seen the guy since the first day I arrived.

From what my dad kept saying, Alois was still around somewhere, but he was probably swamped with paperwork anyway, so I didn't want to bother him.

My dad sniffled and rubbed his eyes. After that, he gazed up at the ceiling and said, "Look at our kid, Iris. All grown up and asking me for dating advice…"

I rolled my eyes. "Could you stop with the melodrama?"

"Hey, your mom would really be proud right now." He paused. "…Actually, she would also be fussing over you and grilling you about everything you need to do to not mess up. And to do the opposite of what I tell you to do since I'm hardly the best-" He cut himself off, suddenly realizing what he said.

I sighed. "…Great. So you give bad dating advice too."

"Give me _some_ credit, Kid." He took a swig from his mead and said, "I managed to get Alois shacked up, didn't I?"

"True. But that guy also got his bad puns from you. And I applaud the woman who not only put up with that but found it charming."

"What, and you think your constant teasing is any better? Being all smart like that can turn people off you know. Especially women."

I raised an eyebrow. "And who do you think I got that from?"

My dad coughed.

…Well, I suppose it wasn't entirely from him. It was something I did before I became Byleth too, so it only became more pronounced now that I was.

"Anyway," my dad said. "I'm assuming that you mean taking out the princess on a date and not some other girl."

"Obviously."

My dad held up his hands. "Hey, just gotta clarify, Kid. Gotta make sure you didn't get that bad habit of mine too."

"…Bad habit?" I frowned and then narrowed my eyes. "Don't tell me you were cheating on mom?" I paused. "…No. Rhea said that you seduced her, right? Did you have a reputation as a guy who slept around a lot before you got married, Dad?"

He coughed again. "Course not, Kid."

I shook my head and took another bite from my sandwich.

Seeing that, my dad took a bite from his as well.

I swallowed and then picked up my cup of juice, taking a deep gulp-

"Now, you said you wanted to take your wife out on a date?"

I quickly swallowed the juice and then coughed, rubbing my neck. After that, I glared at my dad.

He smiled. "What?"

I shook my head. "I'm surprised mom managed to put up with you long enough to have me."

He shrugged. "What can I say? I've got a charming personality."

"If by charming you mean corny and abrasive, then I agree."

My dad laughed. "Well, you sure inherited her sharp tongue." He paused. "You and Stella both, actually. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought your mom and I had another child." He shook his head and then narrowed his eyes. "And you still owe me an explanation about her, Kid. I've been going along with it for now and Rhea still hasn't called us all up yet, but it's only a matter of time. I'd appreciate having our stories straight before then."

"Hm?" I frowned. "Did she not get around to telling you yet?"

"She?"

I nodded. "Right. Stella. I thought she was going to tell you her story and who she really was?" I paused and then said, "I guess she didn't, huh?"

"If by story you mean that flimsy sob story about her being a brat of mine I left to some village maiden, then I guess she did. But you can't be serious about that being our cover story. Come on, Kid. I taught you better than that."

I shook my head. "Well, that's what we're working with at the moment… but I meant her real identity as Sothis."

My dad blinked.

I stared at him.

Eventually, he groaned and downed the rest of his mead in a single gulp. After that, he rummaged in his desk and pulled out a bottle sealed by a cork plug and wax. He rummaged around in his desk again and pulled out a letter opener. With that, he stood up, pointed the bottle to the side, and in one swing, cut off the top of the bottle.

A strong waft of alcohol filled the air. And straight alcohol at that, not wine or some other low proof drink. No, what was in that bottle had to have been something like everclear, over 90% alcohol.

He stared at the bottle for a bit and then filled his cup. That done, he set the bottle down and took another long swig before sighing. "That's better. Now, what was that you were saying, Kid? Something about your sister being the literal progenitor goddess of Fodlan?"

I slowly nodded. "That's right… And why do you have a bottle of concentrated alcohol in your desk?"

"On the record, it's an emergency substitute for vulneraries and elixirs. Off the record… it's headache medicine. This damn thing's the only drink that can get me anywhere close to tipsy. And goddammit I'm going to be tipsy if I'm going to have to deal with surprises like that."

I frowned. "And you don't think that's a bad example to set?"

"Hah! I'm a walking example of what not to do, Kid. Half the time I think it's a miracle that I managed to get you past your diaper years. The fact that you grew old enough to even go and bang the future Adrestrian Emperor… Gotta say, it's my proudest accomplishment yet."

I flushed and said, "I'm not banging- I mean, I'm not… Edelgard and I aren't doing that, alright?"

"Eh?" My dad leaned over and tilted his head to the side, digging earwax out of his ear with his index finger. "Could you say that again, Kid? Cause I think I just heard you say that you _aren't_ banging the beautiful young princess that's head over heels in love with you. And after I gave you part two of the birds and the bees too."

I sighed and took another bite from my sandwich. "Not everyone is as focused on those sorts of things as you are, Dad."

"Aw, come on, Kid." My dad leaned over his desk and said, "Don't tell me you haven't at least thought about it. Your wife's young, beautiful, quirky, and can barely stand to be away from you. I bet if you asked her, she'd do aaall kinds of things."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "…You're drunk."

"Wha? Psh." My dad took another swig from his cup and said, "I'm just a bit tipsy, Kid. It'll take a lot more than just a bit of that stuff to send me under the table."

I nodded. "Then I'll amend my words. You're shameless."

"You don't need to be so stuck up about it, Kid. Banging is a completely natural thing to want to do. Least that's what Iris told me. Something or another about Seiros saying that people should be free to pursue love and in all forms and actions…"

Well… That explained a lot about Rhea, at least. And why the only same-sex pairings seemed to involve people who were originally from the Empire, since they were the ones closest to Seiros…

My dad laughed, and then a goofy grin settled on his face. "Heh, the things your mother wanted to do. You wouldn't ever think she was a holy maiden with how she-"

"And that's officially too much information." I shook my head and said, "Could we get back to the main topic, Dad?"

"What? Dating advice? Take her back to your room and just bang her already."

"Dad."

He shook his head. "Fine, fine. What a prude… I knew I should have had Clark take you to the red light district when we passed Enbarr on your eighteenth birthday."

"_Dad._"

He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Alright, Kid. Shoot. What's got your pants in a bunch? Edelgard's already head over heels for you… and probably willing to do a lot more than that to if you ask her. Why are you so worried about taking her out on a date?"

"First of all, stop trying to convince me to get intimate with Edelgard. Second of all… It's our first date. Of course I'm worried. I already messed up the proposal and the first kiss, so I can't mess this up too."

The proposal was self-explanatory. It was never a good idea to just pop the question on someone without any preparation, as I quickly learned after my Edelgard fainted from being overwhelmed by emotions.

As for the kiss… I let her take the lead, and it was more to convince her then to show that I loved her.

I'm sure she didn't mind. Edelgard wasn't the type of woman to get hung up over things like that so long as she knew that she was loved. But still, I wanted to make it at least somewhat special.

"Hm… You've got a point there, Kid. Even I knew better than to just pop the question on your mom out of the blue. And… you messed up your first kiss too? What did you do, cut her lips against your teeth or something?"

I rolled my eyes. "Come on, Dad. I'm not that dense."

"Could have fooled me. Never seen you even think about rubbing one out to a girl or a guy."

I groaned.

"Also… didn't it take me dying in the future to get your butt into gear to choose a girl to marry?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Don't joke about that, Dad."

"…Right." He sighed. "Sorry, Kid. I forget sometimes that you actually lived through it. But anyway, a proper date, huh? Well, I guess you could always do what I did for your mom when I wanted to pop the question."

"Hm?"

"You see…"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

We're on chapter 69. What did you expect?

A bit of a shorter chapter. I'm running behind on some projects, so there might not be a chapter until the day after tomorrow. Just a head's up.

Anyway, some bonding time between Byleth and Jeralt.

Hope it was enjoyable! I wish I had the time to expand on it, but such is life.

Thanks for reading and leaving your input!

Also, to that one guest reviewer who was relieved I took a break to relax, thanks for your concern! I'm touched that you're so thoughtful of my health. I'll do my best to make sure to not go overboard and take breaks when I need them.

See you soon!


	70. Magic Lesson

Combat training and formations time. Once again, my father, Clark, and Diane were leading the training. At the moment, my students were all still in inadequate shape. They weren't quite up to snuff yet on basic fundamentals. And, seeing how I didn't know how to give those out, I left the job to the professionals who were more than willing to do so.

There was a thud in the distance, and a voice called out. "Damn my eyes… I was foolish… and careless…"

"Yeah, yeah. Get your sorry behind off the ground and keep running!"

I ignored Diane treating a cadet harshly and instead focused on the more important things later today.

Like my date with Delly.

Technically, Rhea hadn't said anything about our marriage yet, so we couldn't do anything in public. At least, not without being bothered. While I could imagine that the attention would fade after the truth… or Rhea's version of the truth, came out, I still didn't want to bother Edelgard with having to deal with any more stress in her condition.

In that case… the best bet was something private.

Our date would be held over dinner… so maybe I should cook something? Meet at my room?

"I-I'm done for… I wonder if… anyone will notice… I'm gone…"

"I will, you piece of trash! Pick yourself up and get going before I toss you!"

Clark's voice echoed.

I ignored it.

Hm… There was the problem of Stella too. My dear sister had been having sleepovers with the other Black Eagle girls these past few days, but I couldn't just keep bumming off of them forever. At the same time, I couldn't relax if she was there with us on the date.

Hm…

"I-I can't die until we've seen this through to the end… Even if I cannot fight- even if I can do nothing…"

Another cadet lamented their fate. A female one.

Hearing that, I shook my head. "Your fault for choosing to transfer to my class."

No I still wasn't bitter about having to grade over thirty quizzes after tomorrow.

Anyway, date plans. No, dinner plans.

Obviously, the best bet was something private. In my room would be best… though it'd be trouble if anyone found out. Then maybe in her room…? No, that was worse.

Argh, if only there were private dining halls.

Private… Private? Hm. Maybe I should talk to Hubert. He was sure to be happy to help out if it meant Edelgard was happy, right? And he _did_ manage to secure the perimeter around my room before when he tried to kill me that one time. Maybe he could do it again… and he'd also appreciate the chance to make sure I didn't do anything untoward to Edelgard as well.

I nodded.

That was settled then. We would be having dinner in my room.

Now the question was… what would we eat? Something fancy… Cakes were a given. I could probably pull one off with my materials. Other than that… maybe pasta? Or a steak. Hm…

Probably a good time to bug the Blue Lions. They had all the master chefs, so-

"Professor?"

A female voice called out to me.

I blinked and focused.

There was a girl standing not far from me. Pale skinned, snow-white hair, ruby eyes… Lysithea.

I blinked and then frowned. "IS something the matter?"

She shook her head. "Not really. It's just… I can't do this type of training. Captain Jeralt sent me over here and asked if you had anything else I could do."

I paused and then nodded. "That's right. Your body's a bit weak, isn't it? I remembered hearing about that from Manuela."

Well, not really, but close enough to the truth.

Lysithea frowned and crossed her arms. "If only my body wasn't so frail… Argh. I didn't ask to be this weak. It's not like I don't want to train with the others. It's just… I can't."

The frustration was clear in her voice.

I could understand that. Lysithea was a hard worker and always eager to improve herself. However, her body couldn't quite keep up.

That reminded me though.

"Hm… I might have a solution for that."

Lysithea's eyes widened and she said, "Truly?"

I nodded. "I think so… But I'll need to double check with Manuela first. And Hanneman, probably."

Her body was weak because of the clashing effects of her Crest… but she was also someone without a Crest to begin with. While her blood managed to get reconstructed to use the Crest of Charon and Gloucester, her body wasn't attuned to either. In that case, the problem might be fixed if I could use my blood as a medium…

Maybe. It was an idea at least.

I'd have to talk with Hanneman at some point about it.

I shook my head and said, "Anyway, since we can't have you collapsing on us, why don't we go over your goals? I've given you my notes on things you might be able to improve, but do you have anything in particular you want to talk about?"

Lysithea shifted her feet and said, "Will that not cause a problem, Professor? While I appreciate the personal tutoring, will the others not be jealous?"

I glanced over at the crowd of cadets being worked half to death and shrugged. "If they've got a problem, they can take it up with Seteth and transfer out. They're the ones who chose to be in my class, not the other way around."

Lysithea's eyes widened. "You… You're trying to make them transfer out!"

I laughed and patted her head. "I knew you were smart. But yeah. Since that petty guy let them all transfer here and won't transfer them out without the student's own approval, I'm doing my best to get my dad and the others to convince them to quit and… Ah. Sorry." I realized that I was ruffling Lysithea's hair like I did with Stella and quickly pulled my hand back. "Force of habit."

Lysithea blinked and then frowned, giving me a strange look.

"…Did it bother you?"

"No." Lysithea shook her head. "It's just… odd." She stared at me and then said, "If you were Claude, I'd be upset. Treating me like that… It's patronizing. But when you do it… It's strange. Somehow, you remind me of your father."

"What?"

"Ah." Lysithea sighed. "My apologies. I did not mean to be rude. It is just… Comforting." She frowned. "Strangely supportive. It seems that you truly are the Archbishop's grandson."

I opened my mouth to dispute her words, but quickly closed it when I felt something burning on my left arm.

I frowned and then quickly focused. While unexpected, after what happened with Ferdinand, I recognized it. Two unfamiliar mana patterns were forming. While I couldn't visually inspect them, I could guess at what they were considering Lysithea was the trigger.

It'd be a problem if my sleeve caught on fire though, so…

I followed the flow of mana and then carefully distributed it. The heat was from the mana pattern weaving into my own mana and the crest I formed in my left arm, so if I spread it out a bit instead of letting it do it by itself, it shouldn't be as bad.

That was the plan… And it worked. Just hurt a lot more instead of burning.

"Professor?" Lysithea stared at me, her eyes furrowed. "Did I say something wrong?"

I shook my head. "No. Just an old wound acting up."

Not necessarily a lie, considering my crest was a self-inflicted one.

"An old wound?" Lysithea glanced at me, staring at how I held my arm, and then frowned. "I didn't expect you to have those… but I suppose you are an experienced mercenary." She glanced up at me and then frowned. "Do we have to expect to deal with the same in the future?"

I rolled my left shoulder, letting the pain ease up with that, and said, "With any luck you won't have to… but I won't say that you won't for sure. All that you can do is prepare. And speaking of preparing… about your notes. Any questions?"

Lysithea nodded and then rummaged in a side bag she was carrying. "Yes… Ah. Here." She handed me a sheet and said, "I have been working on Reason magic like you asked, but despite your excellent notes, I cannot conjure even the simplest fire spell."

"Hm?" I frowned. "Really?"

I knew that Lysithea couldn't use ordinary Reason spells in the game, but for reality to be that way… I couldn't see why.

She nodded, her face dimming. "Truthfully Professor, I have always had trouble with ordinary Reason magic. I can understand the theory and recite it, but the application… For some reason, it never works." She frowned, frustration clear on her face.

"Show me."

Lysithea nodded. "Hopefully you can determine what is wrong… I will begin." She held out her hand and started chanting. Familiar glyphs formed, the ones I recognized as Fire. Her mana surged, the spell was on the verge of completion… and then it fell apart, crumbling like a sandcastle in the waves.

Seeing that, my eyes widened.

Lysithea huffed and crossed her arms, her eyes narrowed. "Again…!" She shook her head and said, "I've asked Professor Hanneman, but he had no answer to why I can't use Reason Magic. My theory should be perfect and my calculations aren't wrong. So why…?" She sighed and looked at me. "What do you think, Professor? Have you come across something similar in your time as a mercenary?"

"I'm… Maybe. Could you do it again, Lysithea?"

Lysithea frowned, but then she nodded and held out her hand again.

This time, however, I focused. My left arm drew in the ambient mana and checked the levels. My eyes narrowed and tried to see the flow of mana, like I did for the Agarthans.

Lysithea started casting. The glyphs for Fire showed up again. She chanted… and then the spell stopped, the glyphs crumbling apart like sand.

But that time I saw it.

Lysithea sighed. "Well, Professor?"

I shook my head and then held out my hand. I copied the way her mana flowed, the shape of it, the form, and then tried casting a Fire spell.

Unlike Lysithea, I managed to get a flame to form, but it quickly spluttered out of existence. No, instead of spluttering, it dissolved. Almost as if blown away into dust.

Lysithea's eyes widened and she pointed. "That! That's exactly what happens the few times I make a flame, Professor! You have to tell me what you did!"

I frowned. "That…"

How could I explain it?

Usually, mana was continuous. A wave form that carried energy to enact phenomena.

Dark Magic was different, breaking up mana into discrete particles and realigning them in a particular structure to enact a phenomenon.

It was just a guess, but from the results I had, it turned out to be the answer.

Lysithea's mana was casting Fire like it would for a Dark Magic spell. No, it would be better fit to say that her mana was only suited for a Dark Magic spell. It was too erratic and volatile, probably from the clash of the two crests. While that made it easier to break the mana into pieces, collapsing the waves into particles, it made it impossible to cast ordinary Reason Magic, which operated under the assumption that mana would be continuous.

I paused and then said, "What about Faith Magic, Lysithea? Have you had any problem with that?"

"Hm?" She paused and then shook her head. "No. At least, I don't believe so? I can cast Warp without any issue if that is any use."

Right. That was true.

Then again, Faith magic was a bit weird. It was sort of just trusting the magic to work out, meaning the makeup of the mana didn't matter. It just moved to fill whatever you needed it to do.

"I think I've figured out your problem then."

Lysithea's eyes widened. "You have?"

I glanced around and then said, "This isn't the best place to talk about it though."

"Hm? Why not… Ah!" She nodded. "I heard that you have trade secrets, Professor. Is this one of them? If so, I completely understand."

I shook my head. "No. Nothing like that. This… has to do with your own secrets."

Lysithea froze, her eyes completely locked on me.

I frowned and said, "Now I won't pry. After all, there isn't any one of us here who doesn't have their own secrets that they want to keep under lock and key. However, I will say that your affinity towards magic… no, your very mana itself has changed to become incompatible with ordinary Reason Magic."

"My mana?" Lysithea placed a hand on her chin and frowned. After a few moments, her eyes widened and she lowered it. "The experiments-" She cut herself off and stared at me.

I quickly averted my gaze, staring out at the other students.

"…You already know, Professor."

It wasn't a question.

I sighed. "Sorry."

Lysithea shook her head. "It's fine. You're my Professor, so it was inevitable that you would learn of it eventually." She sighed. "I will not ask how you found out, but since you already know, there is no point to hide it." She lowered her gaze and said, "My Crests… I did not always-"

I shook my head. "Don't tell me."

"Professor?"

I sighed and said, "I don't want you to feel pressured to tell me. And it's not like I need to know to help you. While I'd like to hear the full story sometime… let's do it over some nice tea and sweets, alright?"

Lysithea stared at me for a moment and then nodded, a smile on her face. "Very well, Professor. That's a promise."

"Of course. I'll even bring out some cakes and cookies."

"B-Bribing me won't win you my favor, you know! I am no child!"

"Isn't that obvious? But I have been meaning to practice baking, so it's a good excuse."

"O-Oh."

"Anyway." I shook my head and said, "We should probably get started on solving your mana problem."

Lysithea frowned. "You have a solution? I do not meant to doubt your abilities, Professor, but…"

I shook my head. "It's not permanent, but it should be good for a little while. Long enough for you to get some practice in."

Lysithea stared at me, skeptical. "And that would be?"

"First, I need your hand."

Lysithea flushed and took a step back. "P-P-Professor! You are already engaged! F-Furthermore, we have barely gotten to know each other. A-And…"

I blinked and then sighed. "No. I'm not asking for your hand in marriage, Lysithea."

I knew I should have cut off the talk about marriage and love earlier… It seemed like young corruptible Lysithea got her head full of weird ideas.

Lysithea let out a long sigh. "Thank the Goddess. Ah, not that I think you are unattractive, Professor! In fact, I do believe it would be hard to find a husband more qualified in all of Fodlan. Moreover-"

I laughed and shook my head. "It's fine, Lysithea. I can see where you got the misunderstanding." My face dimmed and I said, "…And it seems like I got my first volunteer for team building exercises tomorrow."

Ferdinand _did_ want to have a chat with Dorothea. What better way than under shared misery?

A win for him and I get to punish Dory a bit for bringing up the talk about marriage and lovers.

"Anyway, I don't mean anything by it. Besides, you're more like a kid sister to me than anything else."

"A sister?"

"…Does that bother you?"

Lysithea shook her head. "No. But… Hm. I think I can understand what Linhardt meant now when he talked about you…"

I frowned. "That guy's been talking about me behind my back? Looks like he doesn't need that much extra credit after all if he's got that much spare time…"

Lysithea laughed.

I blinked at that.

She paused, surprised her self and then quickly put on a proper face. "My apologies, Professor."

"It's fine. Anyway, your hand?"

Lysithea nodded and walked over. Still, it seemed that the talk from this morning was still on her mind as she flushed a bit when she reached out her right hand.

I decided to not bring it up. Wouldn't end well to tease the young girl with the magical force and control to use Quake Sigma better than I could. Instead, I grabbed her hand with my left hand and focused.

"U-Um, Professor?" Lysithea stared at me and said, "Might I ask what-"

"Shush. Be quiet and try to draw out your mana. Like you're casting a spell, but without forming any glyphs or chanting."

Lysithea frowned and then nodded.

As soon as she did, I could feel it. Mana pulsing through her body, flowing through her veins. At the same time, I used my artificial crest to draw a bit into my own body to analyze it.

Lysithea winced. "Professor. Your hand is cold."

"Focus."

"But… No. I understand."

She sighed and continued.

…I'd have to remember to get her a treat after this. She was placing a great deal of trust in me, something I didn't quite earn yet. But hopefully after this, I should make it up a bit.

But first… Lysithea's mana.

As expected from having undergone the Agarthan experiments, it was completely jumbled up, more so than Edelgard's. However, it wasn't quite as dire.

Where Edelgard's body was on the verge of being overtaken by her Crests due to them going berserk, Lysithea's body seemed to just be damaged from the fluctuations of her dual Crests.

It was a similar event, but also different.

The Crest of Flames and Seiros were stable in Edelgard's body, the two forming a balance for the most part until Solon did something to break that balance, causing the two to strive for dominance. In the process, however, they were draining at Edelgard's natural mana and life. While a byproduct of that was increased strength due to both Crest being constantly active, it was a precarious line and something that wouldn't last.

Lysithea's situation, however, seemed to be different. Unlike the Crest of Flames and Seiros, her Crests weren't stable. The two constantly clashed, the mana from the Crest of Gloucester and the Crest of Charon breaking apart with each impact and forming particles. Those particles were being dissolved into her bloodstream, mixing with her ordinary mana. But because they were so volatile, it broke that up too, causing a chain reaction.

No wonder she wasn't given long to live. The body wasn't designed to use mana as particles… at least in this world, so it was causing harm to her rather than good. Almost like free radicals in chemistry. The high energy particles were causing damage to her body by bouncing around everywhere.

Knowing that, her nickname of being a magical nuke was more than just a bit ironic.

I shook my head.

Lysithea frowned. "Can you not do anything after all, Professor? If so-"

"I can. Just thinking. Give me a bit."

This was new information.

The first plan was for me to cast Fire holding onto her so she could get a feel for the spell until I figured out a solution, but now…

The main problem was that her mana was being broken up into pieces. That was essential in casting Dark Magic, but the worst when casting ordinary Reason Magic. Unfortunately, Lysithea didn't have any control over that, since her Crests were forcibly ripping her mana apart due to their clashing natures.

In that case, the solution was simple. I just had to bring them back into alignment... Or so I would if it wasn't for the possibly dire consequences of a single misstep.

That was something that I'd discuss with Hanneman and Manuela first.

But for now, there was one way I could help.

Lysithea's problem in casting Reason Magic was that she had no ordinary mana to use. While I couldn't the source of the problem, I could alleviate the symptom a bit.

After all, I had a handy dandy mana converter in my left arm and my mana was about the most stable anyone could get considering how pure it was.

So…

I focused on the flow of Lysithea's mana through her veins and then carefully added my own into it.

The moment I did, Lysithea's eyes widened. "P-Professor? This…?" She looked confused, but I ignored her.

I had to focus. While nothing bad would happen to her if I messed up… I'd be pretty low on mana if I did. And considering that I had a date later, that'd be a problem.

Lysithea noticed my focus and kept quiet, though she looked more surprised as time went on.

After a few minutes, I let go of her hand and sighed. "There. It's only temporary, maybe only for about an hour, but you should be able to cast Reason Magic for a while."

Lysithea didn't respond. Instead, she slowly opened and clenched her hands. After that, she moved her body, taking slow steps. "It… doesn't hurt?"

"Hm?" I narrowed my eyes. "What was that?"

"N-Nothing, Professor!" Lysithea quickly shook her head and said, "So, how should I do this?"

The way she deflected my question… It seemed like I'd need to have a talk with Hanneman and Manuela sooner rather than later.

And make sure to personally stab a few Agarthans in the near future.

I shook my head and said, "Your theory is perfect. Just follow it and things should work out."

Lysithea nodded and then slowly raised her right hand before starting to chant.

Was she still doubtful? The glyphs forming were small, only enough to conjure a small flame rather than a fireball. Still, as she continued casting, instead of crumbling away, they solidified, forming a small flame.

Lysithea's eyes widened and she stared at the flame, transfixed.

I smiled and patted her head. "Good job. Looks like it worked. Now, remember that-"

Before I could say anything else, Lysithea wrapped me in a tight hug.

"Thank you, Professor! You have… you have no idea how much this means to me. Ever since that time, I… I thought that…"

I sighed and patted her back. "Enough of that. Go practice a bit. Wouldn't want the others to think I'm trying to win you over too or something…"

She laughed and stepped back. "Of course. I wouldn't dare want to earn the ire of Edelgard." After that, Lysithea moved over to the side and started practicing magic with all the energy and enthusiasm that a girl her age should have. Not the serious and gloomy nature that she had taken to carrying.

Seeing that brought a small smile to my face.

Especially considering the important hint it gave me to fixing Delly's problem.

And speaking of Delly… I still had to figure out what to do for dinner with her.

I sighed and started wracking my mind again.

Maybe I should try making some pasta…

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

It seems possible that I may have caught something again. I've been going to the gym every day to work out, so I think it's probably because of that. Public places and colds, sweating, etc...

Just have a cough now, and hoping it stays that way, but I might take a few days off if things get worse. Just a heads up.

There's a few references in this chapter with the cadet's 'deaths', so kudos to whoever can point those out.

Thanks for reading and leaving your input! Not too sure how this chapter is, but I hope it was enjoyable nevertheless.

I'll see you hopefully soon! Take care and stay healthy!


	71. Date Prep

After combat training ended, I pulled Hubert to the side.

The gloomy dark mage crossed his arms and said, "This is a surprise, Professor. To think you would speak to me in private… I was under the impression you didn't care much for me."

"I admit that you get on my nerves sometimes, Bert, but you're still my student. It's not odd for me to want to talk to you."

"True." He held up his right hand and messed with his fingers. "However, I feel that this is not concerning classwork. Or am I mistaken?"

"Sharp as always, I see."

He smiled. "I do my best."

I glanced around.

We were still at the training grounds that the Knight of Seiros usually used. Right now, I had pulled Hubert off to the side behind one of the storage sheds. I'd have to check in with the others soon though, so this would have to be brief.

"You remember when you tried to kill me?"

Hubert raised an eyebrow and smiled. "I have no idea what you mean, Professor."

"Right. Plausible deniability and all that." I nodded. "No hard feelings, I assure you. Just… do you think you could do that again? Make it so no one is around my dorm room around say… seven this evening?"

Hubert frowned. "I suppose I could do so, Professor. But why would you… Ah." He smiled. "I see. This is for Lady Edelgard, is it?"

I nodded. "That's right. I was hoping to do something a bit romantic for her to make up for these past few days."

Hubert nodded. "About time. Had you delayed any longer, Stella and myself were prepared to take things into our own hands."

"…Stella? And you?"

I frowned.

"That is none of your concern, Professor. At the least, no longer."

I didn't like the sound of that… but he had a point.

"Professor?"

Edelgard's voice drifted over.

I froze and glanced back at Hubert. "Keep this between us, alright?"

Hubert shook his head, exasperated. "No worries, Professor. I understand the importance of confidentiality. Now, if this is to occur, I must make preparations. If you would pardon me." He bowed his head and walked away.

As soon as Hubert left, Edelgard walked over. "Hm? Were you discussing something with Hubert, my teacher?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I had a favor I needed him to help me with."

"I see." She smiled. "I'm glad to see you two getting along. I must admit that it was a concern of mine that you two would be at each other's throats instead of the other's side."

"Heh. Me and Hubert, fighting? As if."

I paid very careful attention to not show any sign of the fact that Hubert already tried assassinating me once.

"Hm." Edelgard stared at me. "…If you say so, my teacher."

I leaned against the side of the storage shed and said, "So I heard you looking for me. Did you need something?"

"Yes, actually." She tilted her head and said, "What did you have planned for tonight? I know that you have the quiz to prepare for tomorrow, but…"

"Ah. I was going to ask you that."

"Hm?"

"Do you think you could skip dinner today and then meet me at my room around seven?"

Edelgard flushed and gave me a bashful smile. "Why, my teacher. You've gotten quite a bit bold, haven't you?"

I felt my cheeks warm up and huffed. "Nothing like that. It's just the best place to have a private time together."

"Private time, is it?"

I rolled my eyes. "Delly."

She laughed. "Fine, fine. I'm only teasing, my teacher. Besides, you aren't that type of person anyway."

I started to nod and then stopped. I narrowed my eyes and said, "What do you mean, 'I'm not that type of person'? Just what type of person are you talking about?"

Edelgard smiled. "Who knows? But hm… Seven, is it? I suppose I can spare some time in my evening for you, my teacher. After all, there is a quiz tomorrow… I could always use some personal tutoring."

"…You are spending far too much time with my dad."

Edelgard laughed. "Perhaps. But I should be taking my leave now, my teacher. If that is the plan, I truly do need to rearrange my schedule. It would be a disgrace for the house leader to fail their first quiz wouldn't it?"

"That it would."

Edelgard nodded. "I'm glad you agree. In that case, I'll be off." She walked past me. As she did though, she added in a soft whisper, "I'll be looking forward to dinner, my love."

I froze.

By the time I recovered, Edelgard had already walked away, her light giggles echoing in the wind.

Footsteps drew near and then a gruff voice called out. "What's wrong, Kid. You look like you got your soul taken away."

My dad walked over. When he looked past me to where Edelgard was walking away, he let out a small 'ah' and nodded. "I see." He smiled and said, "Had a quickie with the princess, eh?"

That snapped me back to attention. I groaned and said, "Dad. Could you not?"

"What? You're such a stick in the mud that I'm afraid you won't get it done unless I bug you about it everyday."

"She's not even eighteen yet."

"So? Nobles have gotten married and banged even younger." He paused and then scowled. "Damned crazy bastards."

"Right. And you're comparing me to them?"

My dad sighed. "You've got a point there, Kid. But anyway, what's the game plan. Need anything from your old man?"

"Hm…"

I leaned against the shed again and placed a hand on my chin. "Think you could grab me a bottle of red wine? The light stuff, nothing too heavy. Something that would pair good with pasta."

"Ah, going for the romantic moonlight dinner, I see." My dad nodded. "Good choice. After that, maybe some snuggling, nuzzling, and fu-"

"Dad."

"Fine, fine!" He held up his hands. "Can't say I didn't try."

I rolled my eyes. "Are you that in a rush to get grandkids?"

"Hey, I'm not getting any younger, Kid. I've gotta retire sometime, you know?"

I raised an eyebrow. "And you need me to have grandkids to do that?"

"Of course! What retired knight doesn't have grandkids?"

"…Just get me the red wine."

My dad laughed. "Sure, Kid." He walked over and clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Make sure you do right by her tonight, Kiddo. And remember, you can't mess up more than you have already, so relax."

I sighed. "You just had to remind me, didn't you?"

"One of the few pleasures of being a dad, Kid. You'll understand someday. Hopefully soon if you and-"

"DAD!"

"Going, going. Geez. And I thought Clark had it bad…"

I rolled my eyes.

Let's see… With the location and wine prepared, I needed a few more things…

* * *

I was back in my room. After locking it, I opened the compartment beneath my bed and pulled out a small icebox I made to keep my ingredients. There wasn't much in there, the result of using most of my resources in that barbecue a while back, but there was still a bit of ground beef I managed to get from the dining hall a while back. Since the icebox was made with Stella's help, everything was kept at a very, very cold temperature, so there wasn't any fear of spoiling.

But there was still a problem.

"…What do I make?"

Combat training had just ended, so I had an hour before dinner was officially served. Three before the appointed time with Edelgard.

"Argh… Right! Ashe! He knows how to cook!"

I quickly set everything back in my room and then ran off, locking my door behind me.

* * *

"…You want me to help you cook something, Professor Byleth?"

I nodded. "That's right. I'll pay you back and everything, but there's not much time. Something good for dinner, not too heavy, not too light… I was thinking pasta, but I don't have the ingredients for them."

Ashe frowned.

We were in the kitchen of the dining hall. Thankfully, I managed to catch Ashe as he was leaving. It seemed that he was having a go at cooking before dinner actually started. The staff were busy around us, prepping for dinner, but left the two of us alone.

"Well," Ashe said. "The ingredients shouldn't be an issue. You're a professor, so you can take what you need from the storehouse here as long as it's not too much."

"Ah, right. Should have thought about that."

That probably explained why nobody gave me a second glance that time I raided the storehouse for some meat. And I thought they were just scared of me at the time…

Ashe stared at me and said, "Professor Byleth, why are you asking me?"

I tilted my head. "Dimitri said you were the best cook in the Blue Lions. Considering how everyone in Faerghus happens to be at least adequate in cooking, that means that you're my best hope to salvage this situation."

"Why that's… Ahem." Ashe flushed a bit. "That's quite the high praise and trust, Professor Byleth."

I shook my head. "I'm only repeating what Dimitri said about you. Though from what I tried back at the party, I have to agree with his sentiments."

"Alright!" Ashe nodded. "If you think I'm good enough to help you, I will! So, what'll it be?"

"Well, the plan is some fruitcake and lasagna… Ah, that's a layered pasta dish with a meat and tomato sauce… Actually, help me grab what we need here and head back to my room so we can cook…"

* * *

I was running around the monastery again.

Ashe was helping me out by keeping an eye on the cake and lasagna I had baking back in my room while I went around to get everything else I needed to finalize the date.

I had food prepared, drinks, the room… well, not completely. Still needed to clean it up and make it romantic, but that was last. Right now I needed a gift.

And what better gifts could there be than flowers? Unfortunately, I didn't plant any and Anna was long gone for the day, so I had to hunt down the next best source of flowers. At least that I could remember.

Thankfully, I managed to see her in my mad dash around the monastery.

A glimpse of orange, right by the gazebos.

I forced myself to come to a stop.

There was a light gasp and then a bubbly female voice echoed. "Byleth? That's dangerous! You shouldn't be running around like that!"

"Annie!" I ran up to her and grabbed her hands. "Thank God- er, the Goddess! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Y-You have?" Annette flushed.

I nodded. "That's right. I need you-"

Click.

"To come with me-"

Schink.

"And give me your flower-?"

The faint sound of steel cutting air.

I blinked and instinctively jumped to the side.

Unfortunately, I forgot that I was holding Annie and pulled her with me, causing us to collapse in a heap.

"Ow!"

Thankfully, Annie landed on top of me instead of beneath. That was good. It'd be bad if rumors got out about how I pinned a girl beneath me when things were already like this.

Annie shook her head and then hopped to her feet. When she did, she immediately spun around and pointed at someone. "Felix! What do you think you're doing?"

"Felix?"

I blinked and stood up, glancing over.

True to Annie's words, Felix was standing there.

"Tch." He met my gaze and looked away, sheathing his sword. "I just wanted to test Professor Byleth's reaction time."

"Felix!"

"What? Besides, the Professor shouldn't go around saying things that could be easily misunderstood." Felix glared at me.

Annie paused and then flushed.

I was confused for a bit and then sighed. "It's not like that." I shook my head and said, "I'm setting up a dinner date later and I wanted some flowers as a gift. I noticed that you were growing some in the greenhouse last time, Annie, and was hoping I could buy some from you."

Annie laughed. "Is that it, Byleth?" She shook her head. "Take whatever you need. You save my life, remember? It's the least I can do in return."

"But-"

"It's fine! Just tell me what the lucky girl thought about them, promise?" Annette stuck out her pinky.

Seeing that, I shook my head and smiled, sticking out my pinky too. "Fine. Promise."

Annette smiled and nodded. "Alright! Now, did you need anything else, Professor?"

I shook my head. "That's all. Thanks again, Annie."

Felix glanced between the two of us and then sighed. "…Maybe the Boar's right. I've been too on edge recently… I should take that girl up on her offer to eat some cake."

Annie bristled and rounded on Felix. "What girl, Felix?"

"Hm? Lysithea. She gave me a cake she made last time as a bribe. Apparently they're supposed to be the cure for everything in the world."

"…Lysithea?"

I coughed. "Well, I should get going now. Low on time and lots to take care of. Thanks again, Annie!"

Sorry Felix, but I've got enough girl problems to deal with on my own…

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

A bit of a shorter chapter. Resting up a bit since it looks like I might have caught something again. T_T. Couldn't help but write though, so I wanted to post what I had.

Thanks for reading, as always, and your input! I hope it was enjoyable.


	72. Smash?

I adjusted my bowtie and glanced around the room.

Everything was ready.

The curtains were swapped out with crimson drapes, I shifted the room around to have the table in the middle, and used alchemy to get a few other things to make the place a bit more romantic and forget that it was just an ordinary dorm room. Candles, fancy drapes, silver platters and eating utensils… if you ignored the bed and stack of papers shoved in the corner, it could almost pass for a private restaurant room.

Almost.

I glanced out the window. The sun was setting, and the tower had chimed seven not long ago. It would be any minute now that Edelgard arrived.

I did another quick mental check.

The cake was chilling in an icebox off to the corner. The flowers, a bouquet of roses I picked with permission from Annie, were placed in a glass vase with water in the middle of the table. Said table itself was neatly decorated with a dark crimson cloth.

The lasagna was warming in the oven, and I had both plates and mitts ready to serve it when she arrived.

My dad pulled through and got me a bottle of red wine… apparently from Enbarr directly. It was supposedly a famous brand, but I wasn't a wine snob so I didn't know much about it other than it should be good.

Dorothea had been kind enough to keep an eye on Stella again, so I didn't have to worry about distractions. And then the surroundings…

I glanced out the window.

As if waiting for me to do just that, Hubert appeared and gave me a brief nod before vanishing back into the shadows.

Good. While a bit concerning about how he predicted when I would glance out the window, it seemed the perimeter was secure.

Now I just had to wait.

Wait.

And… wait.

I sat down at the table and double-checked my attire.

Since this was supposed to be romantic, I'd changed into something more fitting. A sleek black tuxedo and white dress shirt combo that Stella had made for me a while back. Black slacks and matching loafers finished up the look, along with a bowtie.

Well, in all honesty it made me look more like a butler than anything else, but considering that I was planning to serve up a good time for Delly, it was perfect.

…Did I really just make that joke? Oh god, I did.

I placed a hand on my face and groaned. "I'm becoming like dad…"

That was terrible! Was it the nerves? It had to be the nerves. By why was I even nervous? It was like what Dad said. I already messed up everything else, so there was no problem with me goofing this up too.

Right?

I shook my head.

No, of course not! Because I messed everything else up, this had to be perfect. I had to make sure that-

A knock at the door.

My eyes widened. I coughed and then said, "C-Come in!"

The doorknob rattled, but the door didn't open. "Um… my teacher? It's locked."

Dammit, dammit, dammit.

"My bad. I'll be right there."

I quickly walked over to the door and unlocked it, pushing it open. As I did, I put a wide smile on my face and said, "I'm glad you could join me tonight, Delly…" I paused. "…And Dimitri?"

The Faerghus prince smiled. "Good evening, Byleth. Ah, and don't mind me. I am merely here to escort my dear sister to her first nightly rendezvous."

Edelgard rolled her eyes. "And I told you that this was unnecessary, Dima. You know as well as I do of my teacher's sterling reputation."

"Of course." He nodded. "However, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I thought it would be interesting to play the role for once. Ah, and Sylvain mentioned that I should be threatening you to treat El well… but I suppose we both know that's unnecessary." He paused and then said, "Truthfully, I should be asking El to treat you well. Though she has not shown it recently, when it comes to romance she can be quite a bit-"

"Dima!" Edelgard flushed and rounded on Dimitri. "Th-That's quite enough from you!"

Dimitri held up his hands and laughed. "Right, right. Then I will leave you two be. Enjoy yourselves, El, Byleth." He waved and then walked off.

Edelgard sighed and shook her head. After that, she looked to me and said, "I'm sorry, my love. I tried to stop him, but Dima insisted."

I shook my head. "It's fine. He's just worried about you."

And making up years of guilt, probably.

"In any case," Edelgard said. "May I come in?" She gestured towards the door.

"Oh! Of course, of course." I stepped aside and beckoned her in. "After you, princess."

Edelgard giggled and stepped inside. "You don't have to be so formal, my love. It's just me. Though I do appreciate the effort."

I closed the door and turned towards Edelgard. "You're always worth the effort, Delly."

"Heh." Edelgard shook her head. "As smooth as ever… That silver tongue of yours is definitely the enemy of womankind." She turned around and smiled. "It's good that I caught you before it got out of hand, is it not?"

I frowned. "You make it seem like I can't live without you."

"Can you not?"

"…"

Edelgard laughed and then took a seat at the table. As she did, she reached over to examine the roses and said, "I see you put quite a bit of effort into this."

I frowned and walked around to sit at the other side of the table. "You could be a bit more surprised."

"Well." Edelgard fussed a bit with a rose petal and then looked up at me, a smile on her face. "I can't say that I was expecting this, but knowing you, I figured that it would have been wonderful regardless."

"…That's not fair. Since when did you figure out how to tease back?"

"Is it not obvious? I learned from the best, my love. Besides, these are my heartfelt feelings. It is not my fault you find it embarrassing."

"…"

Edelgard laughed. "In all honesty, however, I must admit I was expecting something a bit more modest." She glanced around the room and said, "To do so much just for me…" She shook her head and then looked at me. "I would have been fine with just a nice dinner with you. Anytime that I can spend with you is enough."

My heart warmed at her words… and then I realized what she said and got angry. "You need to value yourself more, Delly. You deserve more than just something like that."

"Maybe." She muttered and then started picking through the roses. "These are beautiful by the way. Did you plant them yourself?"

I shook my head. "Those are courtesy of Annie- Ah, Annette. I would have given you a bouquet I planted myself, but…"

Edelgard shook her head. "They're lovely. I can see the care she put into raising them… But roses, hm?"

I frowned. "Do you not like them?"

"No. They're quite fitting. I just find it amusing in hindsight."

I tilted my head. "What?"

She smiled. "It's nothing." Edelgard pulled her hands back and then folded them. "Now, what do you have planned for us tonight, my love? I skipped dinner for you, so I hope you won't disappoint."

"Well, I had help on this from one of the best chefs in the monastery, so hopefully it won't disappoint. Ah, but if it does, blame it on me." I walked over to my oven and put on the mitts before pulling out the tray of lasagna.

Edelgard leaned over to look and frowned. "Saghert and cream? No, that's more savory… a type of pasta?"

"A trade secret recipe." I placed it on top of the stove and then placed a slice on a plate before putting it down in front of Edelgard. "For you."

She shook her head and said, "You truly are a man of mysteries, my love. Even now, I can't figure you out. Not completely, at least."

I served myself a slice and then sat down at the table. "Well, better to be a bit mysterious than an open book, right? Keeps things interesting."

Edelgard picked up her knife and fork and cut off a piece of the lasagna. "I can't say I disagree… but I would appreciate it if you told me everything someday."

I felt a twinge of guilt at her words, but nodded. "Someday. I promise."

After everything was over… when I was sure everything was alright. At that time, I would come clean. About who I was, what I did, what I would be doing…

Edelgard nodded. "That is all I ask." After saying that, a small smile crossed her face. "Though it is amusing. To think that you are the one hiding secrets now instead of me… Perhaps this is karma, in a way?"

"Maybe?"

"Hm…" Edelgard nodded and then cutely blew air on her cut piece of lasagna before eating it.

I stared at her, carefully watching her reaction.

When she lowered her fork, her eyebrows widened and then her eyes crinkled in pleasure. She smiled and then shook her head. "My love… are you certain you're not a master chef in disguise?"

I laughed, inwardly relieved. "Trade secret. And you can thank Ashe. He helped out a lot on that."

Edelgard nodded. "I will endeavor to keep that in mind." Saying that, she went back to eating.

I reached down and pulled up the bottle of wine, as well as a pair of glasses. "Well, why don't we have some of this to pair with the food, hm?"

Edelgard glanced at the bottle and said, "Enbarr 1111? That's quite a rare bottle, my love." She frowned and said, "Where did you get that? I hope you didn't spend too much…"

I blinked and turned the bottle around. "Is it? I just had Dad get it for me…" I frowned.

Did that guy seriously get something that rare?

"Sir Jeralt acquired it? I suppose it makes sense in that case… but to think he could get his hands on something like that."

I glanced at Edelgard and said, "Well, do you want to try it?"

Edelgard shook her head. "I wouldn't want to waste it on something like this. A bottle like that should be for a special occasion…"

"And this isn't?" I shook my head and cracked it open.

Edelgard winced and then sighed. "I suppose I should have expected this…"

I poured a glass for Edelgard and then held it out for her. "Here you go."

She looked amused. "Why, are you trying to ply me with wine, my love before having your dastardly way with me?"

I sighed and set it in front of her. "Come on now, Delly. We both know I'm not that type of person."

She took the glass and shifted the wine around, sighing. "Regrettably so."

I coughed.

Edelgard laughed and took a sip from the wine. "Mm… Sweet. Not that strong, either. Truly deserving of the name."

I poured myself a glass and said, "Is this wine really that special?"

Edelgard nodded. "Indeed. There's a famous tale around this set of wine saying that couples who share a drink from the bottle will have their wishes come true."

"I see." I nodded and took a sip.

"Well, that and guarantee children in the near future."

I reflexively started to spit the wine out at that, but then remembered how expensive it was and swallowed it instead.

Edelgard smiled.

I coughed and tapped my chest. "…You did that on purpose."

She shrugged. "I must admit, I find it quite fun to be teasing you instead of being teased."

I shook my head and went back to eating.

Edelgard cut another piece of her lasagna and said, "So, my love. You never did explain what this dish is."

"Ah, right." I nodded and said, "As you thought, it's a pasta dish. I call it lasagna. It's made from pasta noodles cut into thick layers, alternating between cheese, meat, and a hearty tomato sauce. Homemade with tons of love to warm up my cold princess."

Edelgard raised an eyebrow and said, "Are you calling me cold-hearted, my love?"

"Enough to tease this poor soul, it seems."

"Ha! As if you could be considered a poor soul…"

I shook my head and took a bite from my lasagna.

It was a bit off from what I remembered, but that was inevitable considering the ingredient substitutions. Well, that and me not knowing an exact recipe. The fact that it tasted so close at all was a testament to Ashe's improvisational cooking skills.

Hm. Maybe I should gift him a set of spices…

Ah. Probably best to do that before Lonato's rebellion… No. Maybe I should try and stop that? It'd be the best way to pay him back…

"You're drifting again, my love. Am I that uninteresting?"

I blinked and shook my head. "Sorry, Delly. Just a lot on my mind."

She nodded. "I suppose that's inevitable." Edelgard picked up her glass of wine and took a sip. After that, she looked at me and said, "How are you settling into your role as a professor, by the way? Your first week as a proper instructor is almost complete, is it not?"

"Worried, Delly?"

She sighed and placed her glass on the table. "I must admit that I am. You have been a bit off these past few days."

I grumbled. "Blame Seteth. To think that guy actually approved so many cadet transfers…"

A master of petty vengeance that guy was. It makes me wonder if Rhea wasn't undergoing a small series of minor inconveniences at this moment too.

"Well," Edelgard said. "Despite the challenges, I think that you're doing a fine job, my love."

"Mm." I took a bite from my lasagna and shrugged. "I guess. And on a side note, you're getting a bit too comfortable with that recently."

"Hm?" Edelgard blinked. "What is it, my love?"

"That." I pointed at her with my fork and said, "Calling me your love and everything. Aren't you embarrassed?"

"Why? Are you?"

I coughed and averted my gaze.

Edelgard laughed. "Well, I must admit that it is a bit embarrassing to say it so freely… but it also makes me happy." She smiled and said, "My love… Just knowing that you are my love, that you return my love… It's enough for me."

"…"

I took a sip from my wine.

It was sweet and rich… and made me wish I could get even a bit tipsy. Unfortunately, I couldn't so I had to face reality head on.

I shook my head and said, "Well, how about you then? How have you been doing with classes? Any trouble I should know about?"

Edelgard shook her head. "Nothing of the sort, my love. While I have been getting strange looks, it seems that my status as the future Adrestrian Emperor is still keeping them at bay."

I nodded. "Good. I don't have to do anything then."

Edelgard nodded as well. "Indeed. Though Hubert would have done something first if it came to that… He can be quite a bit overprotective of me at times. Though I suppose you're well aware of that fact by now." She shifted her gaze to me.

I remembered the dark spike incident and nodded. "Of course. But he means well."

"Yes, Hubert means well… But I'm curious, my love." She glanced at me and said, "What _would_ you have done if something were to arise? Say a slanderous rumor about my reputation?"

"Challenge every student who's spouting gossip to a duel to the death in your honor?" I paused and placed a hand on my chin. "…Those aren't illegal, right?"

Edelgard rolled her eyes and reached over to tap my head. "You can't just duel students, my love! Especially not to the death!"

I shrugged. "I've got the reputation of being a bloodthirsty Ashen Demon, don't I? Might as well put it to some use."

Edelgard frowned. "Well I won't allow it." She crossed her arms and said, "I didn't follow you just to have you walk a bloodstained path like I did."

I froze and then bowed my head. "…Sorry."

Edelgard sighed. "It's fine. Besides, I would never have allowed it anyway." She narrowed her eyes and said, "Sacrificing yourself for the greater good is not allowed. Understood?"

Hearing that, I paused and stared at her.

Edelgard, the one who once said dying for the greater good was not a death in vain… was saying that sacrificing myself for the greater good wasn't allowed?

"W-What is it?" She flushed and averted her gaze. "If you stare at me so intently like that…"

"You've really changed, haven't you?"

Edelgard huffed. "It's your fault that I'm like this." She smiled and said, "After all, you were the one who showed me there were people willing to stand by my side if I just opened up." She paused and then lowered her gaze. "…A fact that I regret not knowing earlier."

I shook my head. "If anything, it's my fault for that. If I realized what you were trying to do…"

Both Byleth and myself. Neither of us knew the first time what Edelgard had planned or her intents. If we did…

Edelgard shook her head. "Enough of that." She smiled and said, "This is supposed to be a pleasant evening, is it not? Let us just both say we are at fault and leave it at that. If not, I'm afraid this delightful food will grow cold."

"Ah. Right." I nodded.

For a time, the two of us sat in comfortable silence, just eating.

After a while though, Edelgard said, "I've said this earlier, my love, but you really are an exceptional cook." She looked at me and said, "Did you learn this in the war?"

I shook my head. "It's a long story…"

A combination of his own knowledge and Byleth's intuitive cooking prowess carried across time. Or something like that.

Edelgard glanced back at her lasagna. "Well, regardless, it is delicious."

"I'm glad you like it. But don't eat too much."

"Hm?" She looked up. "Why's that?"

"There's dessert too."

"Dessert?" A faint trace of expectation was in her eyes.

I smiled and nodded. "That's right… But that's for later. For now… Why don't we talk about other things."

"Other things, you say?" Edelgard took a sip from her wine and said, "Well, I suppose there are things I'd like to know more about you as well…" She looked at me and said, "What is it that you wish to know, my love?"

"Well…" I paused for a moment to think and then said, "Tell me about yourself."

Edelgard raised an eyebrow. "Don't you already know enough about me?"

I shook my head. "I want to hear about you from yourself, not other sources."

Edelgard frowned. "Well… there's not much to tell." She set down her silverware and said, "When I was young, my uncle took me and my mother to Faerghus to escape the Insurrection of the Seven. That was where I first met Dima… Though I forgot about that with what happened after." Her face dimmed.

I froze and shook my head. "Sorry. I didn't mean to bring up dark times."

Edelgard sighed. "It's fine. They're over now. Besides…" She smiled. "Despite the darkness, I met you, didn't I? The light that guards me against the cold."

I nodded. "Damned straight- *ahem* I mean, absolutely. You'll never have to experience such despair ever again."

She laughed. "Don't think I missed your slip, my love… But I suppose that's your charm. That vow would sound foolish coming from anyone else, but from you… Well, it's still a bit foolish, but I want to believe you anyway."

"…I can't tell whether to be flattered or taken aback."

"Flattered, of course." She said that, but the teasing smile on her face said otherwise.

I shook my head.

Edelgard continued speaking. "Anyway, after that, there's not much to tell. I obtained my other Crest, returned to the Enbarr to complete my initial studies before enrolling here, in the Officers Academy. From there, you know the rest."

I nodded. "I guess so… Wait." I frowned, remembering something. "…When did you and Dorothea meet? You said something about her being an old friend, right? Was that always the case?"

"Hm? That…" Edelgard paused, furrowing her eyebrows. "I… You're right. In this life… I suppose it was a chance meeting. It was… Yes. One day, I got the urge to see a performance in the opera house. Hubert was with me, so we snuck out to see it." She smiled. "It seems that Dora had snuck out as well and we became fast friends. But… It's curious." She placed her hand on her chin. "I had yet to remember the future at the time, but for us to meet… perhaps my subconscious was guiding us to meet? Or perhaps it was the hand of Fate?"

…Hm.

It was just an idle curiosity I remembered, but to think that it led to that…

Memories, the changes, Stella saying that time was stabilized… I wondered. With the Flame Emperor being able to use the Divine Pulse as well and the lack of them doing so… was it possible the Agarthans found another way to change the past? Or had they given up? No, Claude said that Shambhala was different now, so…

"Enough about me, my love." Edelgard leaned forward on the table and said, "Why don't you tell me about yourself?"

I blinked. "Me?"

"Yes, you." She tilted her head and said, "To begin with… What made you fall in love with me?"

I coughed and averted my gaze. "That's a bit of a loaded question to start with."

Edelgard rolled her eyes. "Oh come now. It isn't that difficult."

"Then… You first?"

"Easy enough." Edelgard straightened and then looked me in the eye. "You are kind. Skilled. Compassionate. You see all of us not as students, but as your own family. Even when the cost is greater than most could bear, you hold it upon your shoulders and strive to keep it from falling upon us. And when the world is falling, even in the face of the inevitable, you still wish to defy it."

"That…"

Edelgard didn't give me the space to interject. "You… give me, and all of us, something to believe in. That devotion, that warm kindness… To be honest, I am surprised none of the other girls have tried to make a bid for your heart yet." She paused and then smiled. "Though I suppose I stole a march on them before they had the chance, did I not?"

It was a blinding expression, adorably and filled with deep affection- no, love.

A direct critical hit to the heart.

I looked away and then frowned. "That's not fair."

Edelgard simply smiled in response. "Well? What about you, my love?"

I glanced at her and then looked away, shaking my head. "It's embarrassing."

Edelgard huffed. "Now I won't allow running away, my love. I won't forgive you if you don't answer…" She flushed a bit and said, "A-After all, I already spilled my heart out to you…"

I stared at her. Seeing her acting so cute and flustered, I sighed and said, "Fine. To be honest… I just thought you were beautiful."

Edelgard blinked.

It was too late to back down now though. While I felt everything inside of me cringing back, I refused to avert my gaze and said, "It started with your voice. When I heard you speak for the first time, I could hear your resolve. The determination to follow things through… but also a tinge of loneliness."

Cold and aloof… but also hoping and praying for someone to reach out.

"And when I saw you, a beautiful young woman with hair as pure and snow and eyes like shimmering amethysts… I couldn't help but want to protect you. To stay by your side." I laughed. "Of course, I didn't know it at the time."

The last words weren't mine. Not entirely. A sentiment from 'Byleth' and not me, but one that I echoed.

Not knowing that our paths would diverge so soon, facing each other across the battlefield… the reunion at the goddess tower only to say farewell.

Both he and I had felt those emotions after failing to side with Edelgard in the past.

Edelgard blinked again and then turned a deep crimson color, almost the shade of the cloth I used to cover the table. She quickly shook her head and said, "That isn't embarrassing, my love."

I sighed. "Isn't it? I keep making jokes about you being shallow, but me…"

"Of course not." Edelgard shook her head and smiles, a wide and bright expression. "I think it's romantic. To think that you could see through me so easily in the first time we met… Had I known, perhaps…" She swirled her glass and said, "Perhaps things might have ended differently."

I shook my head. "Things still can end differently. And they're already different, aren't they?"

Edelgard laughed. "I suppose. For one, you can't run away from me this time."

I frowned. "Excuse me? You were the one who ran away."

Edelgard laughed and downed her glass of red wine. After that she held her arms out.

I stared at her and frowned. "What are you doing?"

"Hold me."

"What?"

She pouted her lips and said, "I'm cold. Hold me."

"…You're not drunk, Delly. Stop pretending to be."

"Oh, hush. Let me be selfish for a bit." She kept reaching out towards me with her arms.

I sighed and then got out of my chair, walking around to pull her into a hug.

The moment I did, she wrapped her arms around my neck and stole a kiss.

My eyes widened and then I leaned back, dropping her on the floor.

"Eep!" She collapsed and landed on her butt.

I crossed my arms and said, "No dessert for you."

Edelgard picked herself off the floor and brushed herself off. "Rude! And here I am, pouring all my feelings into that…"

I shrugged. "Since you're obviously done eating, I guess I should get out the dessert…" Saying that, I walked over to the icebox, pulling out the cake.

Seeing it, Edelgard gasped.

Fluffy, with whipped cream frosting and slices of berries and fruits. A bit lopsided, but otherwise perfect.

"That… my teacher, where did you get that?"

Considering she reverted back to calling me her teacher, it was clear that Edelgard was shocked.

I smiled and said, "I made it, of course. Well, minus the frosting. That was Ashe's help again."

I really did need to pay that guy back for this.

Edelgard sat back in her seat.

I placed the cake in the center of the table, moving aside our other plates. After that, I got a pair of new plates, along with a knife to cut the cake.

Edelgard followed my every motion with wide eyes.

I cut a slice, placed it on a plate, and then handed it out to Edelgard.

Or I started to.

As she reached out to grab it, I pulled the cake back and shook my head.

"…What are you doing?"

I smiled. "I told you, didn't I? No dessert for you… After all, you already snuck a taste of one before I brought out the cake."

Edelgard narrowed her eyes and pouted.

Seeing that, I smiled and said, "Well, if you really want some cake…" I picked up a spoon and scooped a piece of the cake, holding it out for Edelgard. "Ah."

"What in the world are you doing, my teacher?"

"Feeding you."

Edelgard flushed. "I can feed myself perfectly fine!" She reached out to try and grab the cake.

I leaned back and said, "Uh. This is your punishment for that sneaky kiss. Either I feed you or no cake."

Edelgard huffed and crossed her arms. She turned her head to the side, looking away. After a while though, seeing that I wasn't giving up, she eventually turned back to face me and slowly opened her mouth. "A-Ah."

I placed the spoon in her mouth.

Edelgard's crimson lips closed around it, and then I pulled it back.

Her eyes crinkled in happiness, a smile blooming on her face. And then she paused, realizing what just happened, and turned red again.

I shrugged and scooped up a bit of cake for myself.

It was pretty good. Sweet, fluffy, but not overly so. A bit like angel cake rather than normal cake.

I noticed that Edelgard was staring at me, her eyes wide.

I frowned. "What?"

Edelgard shook her head. "Nothing." She glanced at me and then turned her head away. After a while though, she turned back and slowly opened her mouth. "A-Ah."

Was it because it was embarrassing? This time, Edelgard closed her eyes.

Seeing that, I decided to play a bit of a trick.

Instead of the spoon, I leaned forward and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

Her eyes shot open and she stared at me in shock before turning a deep red again.

I smiled and then leaned back. "That's payback."

Edelgard huffed. "Meanie."

At that time, a knock echoed at the door and a somber voice called out. "Pardon the intrusion, Lady Edelgard, Professor. However, curfew is soon and it would be best for us to be off before then."

Edelgard jumped out of her seat. "H-Hubert?! What are you doing here?!"

The door opened to reveal the gloomy dark mage, standing there. He glanced at me and nodded, letting out a satisfied smile.

Edelgard spun around to look at me.

I shrugged. "I asked him to help keep an eye out to make sure we didn't have any unwanted visitors or eavesdroppers. Though…" I frowned when I felt a bundle of familiar mana signatures nearby. "I didn't expect my other students to help out as well."

"Aw!" Caspar's voice echoed from the window. "We're busted!"

"Caspar!" Dorothea's voice echoed and she said, "You blew our cover! Professor didn't know we were here yet!"

"What do you mean? Of course he did!"

After glancing at the window and seeing the Black Eagles huddled up together beneath it, Edelgard turned to me and said, "D-Did you know they were there the whole time?"

To be honest, I didn't. But this was the perfect chance to get her back, so…

I nodded. "Of course. It's hard not to notice a half dozen or so extra people wandering around my window."

Edelgard stiffly turned around and said, "I bid you good night, my teacher. It appears… that I must have a discussion with my dear friends. Thank you for this delightful evening."

"Uh-oh!" Dorothea jumped back from the window and said, "Edie looks mad!"

"Eek! Bernie's going back to her room!"

"H-Hold on, Bernie! Don't move so- Aaaah!"

There was a loud thud, followed by the sound of bodies collapsing against the ground outside my window.

I sighed.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Byleth's in Smash.

Today is a glorious day.

I half wonder if me making his artificial crest being a circle with a cross inside of it didn't somehow predict the future. I also half wonder if I shouldn't make an omake about that at some point.

Sidenote, when Sothis said 'Join smash brothers', I legit thought she was saying 'Join smash brother' and had to do a double take.


	73. Anxiety

**Author's Notes:**

Urgh. Being sick sucks. Had to catch up on a lot of work after being sick for a week. I had last chapter written for a while, but didn't manage to finish this one until today. A longer one though to make up for it.

* * *

I watched Edelgard and the rest of my students run off and then sighed, staring at the plate of unfinished cake in my hands.

There was still a little under half of it left.

"It'd be a waste to just toss it… and there's the lasagna too." I frowned and glanced back at the leftover food. "I don't really have a place to store it though…"

There was an icebox substituting a fridge in my room, but while it would work for the cake, it'd be annoying to have to reheat the lasagna. Not to mention that since there wasn't a microwave, the lasagna would end up drying out when I reheated it in the oven too.

I shook my head and took a bite from the cake.

Was it because my Edelgard was gone now? For some reason, the sweet cake seemed to taste a bit bitter.

I frowned and kept eating anyway. Like my students kept telling me, I did seem to be thinning out a bit too much recently. Probably from the stress and overwork. It would do some good to eat a bit more.

As I finished the cake and grabbed another slice of lasagna, I heard footsteps coming closer from outside.

I glanced up to see who it was. Edelgard should be gathering everyone up to lecture them considering the mood she was in, so who-?

"You seem quite disappointed, my dear brother."

Ah. Of course.

Stella walked into my room and sat down where Edelgard had moments before. She glanced at the plate of food I was holding and said, "Well, at least you are eating well."

I shook my head and said, "Aren't you supposed to be getting a lecture from Edelgard with the others?"

Stella took Edelgard's plate and served herself a slice of lasagna. After that she said, "Unlike my peers, I am not so foolish as to pry into private affairs."

I gave her a blank look and sighed. "You were just watching how the date went through my memories, weren't you?"

Stella raised an eyebrow. "Did you expect me not to see how my dear brother and sister-in-law were getting along?"

I rolled my eyes and went back to eating.

Stella did as well, and then her eyes widened after taking a bite. "My. I knew from her reaction that this was good, but to think it was this delicious."

"Yeah, yeah." I finished eating and then started cleaning up my room.

Stella ignored me and kept eating her lasagna, humming every now and then with her eyes crinkled in happiness.

An adorable sight. Seeing that, it made me feel a bit better about my time with my Edelgard being cut short-

I paused, a thought suddenly coming to mind, and then turned to stare at Stella.

She noticed and tilted her head. "What is it?"

"So you were watching everything by reading my memories."

Stella nodded. "Of course."

"…That meant that you saw me kiss her and our private conversation about why we love each other."

"…Yes?"

"Pervert."

Stella's eyes widened and she spluttered for a bit before saying, "E-Excuse me?! A pervert? Me?"

I shrugged. "What kind of person other than a pervert spies on a date that could have ended with 'that'?"

Stella flushed and then pointed her spoon at me. "I-I know better than that! I would have stopped watching long before you began making advances on my sister-in-law!"

I crossed my arms. "Uh-huh. Sure. Says the person who I wouldn't even know was spying without hearing from her own mouth. And don't tell me that you aren't curious at all about it-" I paused and then frowned. "…Which reminds me. I should rope some more people into making sure you don't act irresponsible and do something that you would regret."

Stella turned a deeper shade of red and narrowed her eyes. "What do you take me for?! I would never do such a thing!"

I nodded. "I know that you would never do that in your right mind… but hormones are a hell of a drug and it's already clear that you're being affected by your body. Or do we need to talk about that-"

Stella's eyes widened and she immediately said, "We already promised to never speak of it!"

"I'm just saying-"

"You promised!"

I shrugged. "Anyway, it's not that I don't trust you. But it's important to keep things like that in mind."

"Hmph." Stella huffed and finished her food before shoving her plate over. After that she stood up and flopped onto the bed, throwing the covers over her head.

I shook my head and went back to cleaning everything up. I folded the fancy sheets, used the Crest of Indech to get water to wash the dishes before drying things up with a bit of fire, placed the leftovers in the icebox… all in all, it took a little bit of time.

All the while, Stella hid under the covers and pretended to be asleep.

After I closed the lid on the icebox, I turned to my dear sister and said, "You're not fooling me, Stella. And aren't you supposed to be sleeping over at Dory's today anyway?"

Stella huffed and rolled over in the bed. "What is it to you anyway? Can I not just want to spend time with my dear brother?"

I stared at her hidden form and then said, "You're just scared of being yelled at by Edelgard, aren't you."

"N-Never!" She peeked out at me from beneath the covers and said, "I am merely… desiring to have spend some time with my family."

I raised an eyebrow. "And you couldn't do that with Dad?"

She froze and then gave me the puppy dog look, that adorable expression that fooled everyone and let her get away with various things.

I rolled my eyes. "That's not going to work on me now, Stella."

She huffed and then rolled over.

Seeing that my sister wasn't gracious enough to respond to me, I decided to get to work instead of trying to pry words out from her.

Despite being well-prepared for the date with Edelgard today, or rather because I was well-prepared for the date today, I still hadn't finished writing up the quizzes. Most of it was done, but…

I shifted my gaze to the pile of papers stacked up on the floor and sighed. Realizing that I couldn't get away with leaving it undone, I walked over and grabbed them before moving to the table.

The quiz would be thirty questions. Ten multiple choice, five true/false, and five short answer. Among those, there would be a few alternative questions to differ between the Cadet version and the Officer version. The former would be easier while the latter would be more difficult.

That was the plan. Unfortunately, as I stared at the papers I had written down, I'd only managed to write out the short answer questions. Things like what the shortest path of an attack is and some combat philosophy questions.

There were still twenty five more questions to go… and of those, I had to figure out answers that weren't too obvious but also weren't completely correct so that it wasn't easy.

I let out a long sigh and picked up my pencil, preparing to settle in for another long night of work.

"Byleth."

I paused and turned my head around to glance at Stella. "Yes?"

She was still lying in my bed under the covers, but her head was completely out of them and looking at me. Those charming blue eyes of hers however were furrowed with concern, completely different from her usual look. "What do you think about this upcoming mission?"

I tilted my head. "Nothing much? Are you concerned?"

Stella frowned and said, "I must admit, I would be lying if I said I was not. I have grown quite fond of the little ones, and to even think that any of them might be harmed… It pains me."

"Well that's what the Divine Pulse is for, isn't it? Or did you forget who you really are already?"

Stella sat up and jabbed her index finger in my direction. "Do not get snippy with me! Of course I recall! Even so…" She lowered her hand and said, "I worry. Time is diverging and yet the flow is stable. I fear… I fear that some events may come to pass which we cannot change."

I placed my pencil down on the table and then completely turned to look at Stella.

She looked back at me, worry clear in her eyes.

Seeing that, I decided to do something to calm her. It was a plan that I hadn't finalized yet, a last resort just in case that I didn't even dare to think about too much in case something happened. But even so…

I reached around and grabbed a piece of paper before writing something down.

"Byleth?" Stella frowned. "What are you-"

"Here." I finished writing and handed it to Stella. At the same time, I carefully avoided thinking about what I wrote and blocked it from my mind. While I couldn't stop Stella from reading my thoughts yet, stopping myself was a matter of course.

Stella grabbed the paper and read it. After she did, her eyes grew wide and she shook her head. "No. Byleth, this… you can't-!"

"Will you do it? If the worst comes to pass?"

Stella's hands shook and then she conjured a flame, burning up the paper. After that, she took a deep breath and looked at me, her eyes determined. "That will not happen. I will not allow it."

"But you can do it if it does?"

Stella bit her lip and then nodded. "…Yes."

"Then that's all that matters." I turned around and shuffled my papers. "Now, if you don't mind, I really do need to finish writing this."

Stella was quiet and then she said, "Do not work too hard. Despite your knowledge and powers otherwise, you are still just a human. We… I would be most upset if you worked yourself into an early grave."

"I know, I know." I waved my hand and said, "Now sleep."

It was quiet for a bit, no doubt because Stella was staring at me. But then there was the sounds of sheets rustling, and then soft breathing.

I stared at the unfinished quiz before me and sighed. It would be a long night…

* * *

Soft light filtered in through the window.

I stretched and took a look outside. "Morning already, huh?" Thankfully, I managed to finish everything in time.

The sky was still orange beyond the window, but I could see hints of blue starting to show up.

I rubbed my eyes. "Another night without sleep." Realizing that, I glanced around back at my bed.

Thankfully, it seemed like my dear sister was still fast asleep. It seemed that she was tired or stressed out from yesterday, enough to keep sleeping through the first rays of light.

Well that or she was staying up far too late while out of my supervision.

I shook my head and gathered my papers. Since I was already up and sleep wasn't really an option, I might as well get in some training to wake up.

Stella's soft breathing echoed in the room, followed by light snores.

I smiled and then walked over to my wardrobe, grabbing a spare change of clothes. That done, I tucked it into a cloth bag I had lying around along with my papers and headed out, locking the door behind me.

* * *

There were surprisingly few people around in the morning. Walking towards the training ground, I only saw a single Knight of Seiros along the way and not a single student. Considering that it was now 5/2 and Friday though, I thought that there would have been a few more people around.

Maybe they were all busy getting ready? Rhea said all the houses had missions, but maybe the knights had some too…

"You're up early, Boss." A cheerful voice called out to me.

I glanced towards it to see Claude walking over, his hands held behind his head. He was dressed in his uniform already and had a bow strapped to his back and a quiver at his side.

He smiled and said, "Did your dear princess keep you up all night?" He winked and gave me a sly smile.

"I wish." I froze, realizing what I just said, and then sighed.

Claude's eyes widened and then he frowned. He lowered his hands and said, "You must really be out of it."

I nodded. "I stayed up all night writing a quiz for the Black Eagles. The questions weren't so bad, but having to handwrite copies for thirty students…"

Claude raised an eyebrow and said, "Why don't you just write the questions on the board and tell everyone to write out the answers on their own paper?"

I froze and then let out a long sigh. "Thanks Claude. I'll remember to do that for the test."

It would definitely save my hand and wrist from writing so much at least…

Claude shook his head and said, "Man, Boss. At this rate you're going to fold under the paperwork you'll have to do as the Archbishop."

I remembered that Rhea had announced me as her successor and let out another deep sigh. "Well… I guess we'll find out when that comes."

Claude nodded and walked beside me as I headed to the training ground.

I glanced at him and said, "So what brings you here? Your room's on the other side of the monastery, aren't you?"

"Yeah, but I actually came over to chat with you for a bit."

"Hm?"

Claude shook his head and said, "Since our mission is urgent, we're actually leaving today. I'm supposed to be rounding up the Golden Deer, but I wanted to check in with you before we headed out." He turned to look at me and said, "What do you think about this, Boss? Our first mission was supposed to be a bandit clearing, but this… It's different." He frowned.

"Hm." I frowned too and said, "Yeah, our mission is different too. And from what I remember, the Golden Deer shouldn't have your mission until far later."

Claude hummed. "Do you think our 'friends' have something to do with it? From what I heard from the old man, things should have been fine in our territory. To have pirates, and supposedly Almyran ones too… It's odd."

I nodded. "I agree. It is strange… and dangerous." I frowned and stared at Claude in his eyes before saying, "Be careful. Ideally I'd want to come along for insurance, but…"

Claude laughed and said, "I appreciate the thought, Boss, but I'll be fine." He kept smiling but his eyes became cold. "If our friends want to give us a nasty surprise, well let's just say that I've got a few hidden away myself."

I remembered what Claude pulled in the mock battle and then nodded. "Even so, keep an eye out."

Claude patted my shoulder and said, "No problem, Boss. I'll make sure to do so… and you take care too. While you aren't my dear friend, we're at least allies now in this crazy time."

I gave him a wry smile and said, "Geez. And I thought we were already friends. Just allies?"

Claude removed his hand and placed it behind his neck. "Eh… I'll think about it after you figure out a way to get Hilda off my back."

"That was your fault to begin with, Claude. You shouldn't have promised what you couldn't deliver."

"Hey, it's not my fault that you're so weird. Or that Dimitri's pretending to not know anything either." Claude shook his head and said, "Really. What a mess this all is…"

I sighed. "Tell me about it… I just hope things ease up soon."

Claude nodded. "Me too."

We arrived in front of the training grounds.

I came to a stop and turned to look at Claude.

He seemed a bit confused and then nodded. "Ah, getting in some early training, huh Boss? I gotcha… Must be feeling kind of out of it after that miserable mock battle."

I rolled my eyes. "Says the guy who didn't foresee his strongest mage backstabbing him."

Claude shrugged, a smile on his face. But then his expression became serious. "In all seriousness, Boss- No. Byleth. Be careful. Ah, and keep Lissy safe, will you? Not too sure what I did to send her your way… well, actually I've got a good idea in hindsight… but even still, I don't want to see her hurt. Alright?"

I nodded. "I definitely will… And you should act more relaxed around your peers. While they might not be the same as the ones you remember, they're still your friends, you know? You should trust them more and stop playing so mysterious."

Claude froze and then sighed. "I'll keep that in mind." He shook his head and then waved. "Then, I'll be going now, Boss. See you when I see you!"

I waved back and watched him leave.

When Claude rounded the corner, I turned back and headed into the training area.

* * *

A sword cut towards my neck.

I moved my own sword to meet it and then spun sweeping my opponent's legs.

He leaped back to avoid it, causing his long blonde ponytail to unravel, sending his hair scattering behind him.

I didn't let up and immediately swung my left arm out, sending a surge of flames towards him.

Jeritza narrowed his eyes and then slashed with his sword at a blinding speed, fast enough to create a vacuum and draw the flames together and snuff them out.

But I was expecting that. In the moment Jeritza slashed, I gathered wind around my feet and surged forward, thrusting towards his heart.

Jeritza's eyes widened a fraction. Since he was off balance from the slash, even if he could swing his sword quickly, it was still too slow to block my attack.

Or so I thought.

Instead of blocking with his sword, Jeritza threw it away. Then, as I attacked, he twisted his chest, causing my strike to miss, brushing along his shirt instead. After that, he grabbed my arm and tossed me to the ground.

I winced, having the wind knocked out of me. I reflexively started tracing my Crests to stop Jeritza, but before I could, my own sword was placed against my neck.

Jeritza stared down at me, his gaze flickering with madness. But before anything happened, he took a deep breath and calmed down before taking a step back. After that, he tossed my sword to the side and held out his right hand.

I grabbed it.

Jeritza pulled me to my feet and then said, "You have improved."

I let go of his hand and picked up my sword. After that, I brushed off my clothes and said, "And you're still scarily skilled as ever."

Yet again, I was grateful for the fact that he was on my side instead of against me.

Jeritza simply stared at me and then said, "Your strikes are more vicious than before. Varied as well."

I rolled my shoulder and said, "Yeah. Decided to take your advice after the mock battle. I'm not a proper fighter, so there's no point in trying to fight like one."

Jeritza nodded. "That is more like it. Vicious monsters like us should be true to our hearts in fighting rather than putting on our masks… A pity though. A fight to the death would truly be enjoyable."

"Well, if it's a fight to the death you want, I'm sure things will pick up here soon enough." I frowned, remembering the odd timing and missions all the houses were taking. "Our 'friends' will probably get a bit more active soon."

Jeritza frowned. "Those worms… I have heard similar from Lady Edelgard. While distasteful, I suppose it will be nice to cut loose after a while." He smiled, a dark glint shining in his eyes.

I nodded and swung my sword a bit. "Yeah, it'll be nice to let off some steam from dealing with all the students." And stress. Killing off some Agarthans who were to blame for most of the mess I was in would be cathartic-

I paused, suddenly realizing something, and looked at Jeritza.

He stared back and frowned. "What?"

"You're a professor too, right?" I frowned and said, "What do you actually teach, Jeritza?"

He shrugged. "They pay me to be the fencing instructor, but there isn't much to do now that you have arrived."

My frown deepened and then I said, "What do you even do all day then?"

"Train. Eat sweets. Teach the children around the monastery." Jeritza walked over to pick up his discarded sword. After checking it for damage, he sheathed it at his side.

I raised an eyebrow and said, "And that's fine with you? And your other self?"

Jeritza frowned. "I would be lying if I said that 'he' is happy with this situation. Yet, it seems that 'he' is… calm. There is a sort of anticipation." Jeritza's frown deepened and he said, "It is… an odd feeling. I would liken it to… waiting for dessert at the end of a long day?"

I blinked. "Dessert at the end of a long day…?"

Jeritza nodded. "Yes." His eyes became distant and he said, "Like enjoying a refreshing peach sorbet after a long training session in the summer heat."

From that expression, it seemed that Jeritza knew exactly how the Death Knight was feeling.

But the fact that the Death Knight was feeling that way… It worried me.

Could it be that Jeritza was starting to remember things as well? For most people, it seemed to have been subconscious, but since the Death Knight _was_ Jeritza's subconscious mind when he wasn't wearing the armor or killing people…

I glanced briefly at my left shoulder and my artificial Crest sitting there, the symbol for Earth emblazoned on my arm. It seemed like it might be time to seriously look into what that thing did.

Jeritza shook his head and then looked to me. After that, he said, "I heard that the students are setting off on missions soon. What are they?"

I blinked and then tilted my head. "You're awfully talkative today."

Jeritza frowned and crossed his arms. "I am a normal person as well. Even I can be curious about things other than fighting."

"Ah. Right." I nodded. "Sorry about that."

Jeritza let out an exasperated sigh and said, "Just get on with it."

"Well," I said. "The Blue Lions are heading to Faerghus to deal with a situation in Duscur. The Golden Deer are heading to Derdriu to deal with pirates… And then me and my students are going to help Anna out with an expedition to some ruins."

Jeritza placed his right hand on his chin and narrowed his eyes. "I see. Perhaps I should request to accompany Hanneman..."

I paused, briefly considering what would happen if Jeritza went along with the Blue Lions.

Knowing him, and also with him now reconciling with Mercedes, the guy would probably be extremely overprotective.

Meaning that any hopes of a Duscur rebel surviving would be reduced to nil since the guy would probably kill them all on sight for daring to raise their weapons against Mercedes.

I quickly intervened and said, "Actually, I was hoping that you could come along to help us out on our mission."

"Hm?" Jeritza glanced towards me and said, "You are more than enough to protect Lady Edelgard and the others, are you not? Especially now that you have embraced the demon within."

I didn't necessarily agree with his last part, but the first part was valid. Still…

I shook my head and said, "While true, you should know by now. Every time I set out for an ordinary affair with my students, our friends seem to jump in somehow and make it chaotic."

Jeritza shook his head. "Even so, your father, Captain Jeralt will be accompanying you, will he not? Combined with your own strength, even those mindless worms would think twice. Furthermore…" He frowned and said, "I am concerned about my sister."

I blinked. "You're… concerned about Mercedes?"

Jeritza narrowed his eyes. "Do you truly see me as so inhuman? Of course I care for my dear sister." He crossed his arms and said, "In truth, I should be saying that to you. How can a demon like yourself care for Lady Edelgard and the students?"

"Sorry." I shook my head and said, "I didn't mean to say it like that. It's just… Odd? To hear you say it so clearly. I knew how you felt, but…"

"Whatever." Jeritza shook his head. "The fact remains that I am concerned for my sister. While I cannot discount the abilities of Prince Dimitri, Hanneman, and the others… there is still a chance that the unthinkable could occur."

"Huh."

Jeritza glanced towards me. "What is it this time?"

I shook my head again. "Nothing. Just…" I frowned. "Realizing how similar we are to each other."

It was eerie actually. Was that how Stella felt? Jeritza's words were a bit arrogant and selfish, thinking that they couldn't do anything without him or that something would happen if he wasn't there.

Jeritza sighed. "If that is all you have to say, then I bid you-"

"Wait." I stopped him and said, "I don't think it's a good idea for you to go with the Blue Lions."

Jeritza paused and then narrowed his eyes. "Pray tell why you believe so?"

"Well for one… Do you think that Mercedes would want you to? Especially considering what you intend to do to protect her?"

Jeritza stiffened, but then he shook his head. "Even so, it will be better for her to be safe and hate me than harmed."

Damn. It really was like looking into a mirror. Twisted a bit, sure, but… weird.

"I can't say I disagree… but you're forgetting something. There's more than one way to protect her if you're worried."

"And that would be?"

I glanced at Jeritza's shirt. Specifically, at the mana signature of the item he wore beneath it.

He followed my gaze and then his eyes widened. "I see." Jeritza reached beneath his shirt and pulled out what I was looking at.

A necklace made of gold, with a crescent moon turned downwards and wrapping a Crest Stone. The Rafail Gem, the Hero's Relic of Lamine.

Jeritza glanced at me and said, "…While I question how you realized I possess this, I admit that it would provide sufficient protection." He paused and said, "And I suppose Mercedes would appreciate the gesture more than my presence…"

I nodded. "She would."

It was a sign of concern, but also trust, something that Mercedes would find touching.

That was also a lesson I made a mental note to keep in mind since it was a bit too close for comfort.

Jeritza paused, staring at the Rafail Gem with a contemplative gaze. After a bit, he tucked it into his pocket and turned back to me. "I suppose you wish for me to accompany you and your students then."

"I do. But it won't be for free or as a favor. For the other 'you', there will be a lot of fighting and death. And for you, well… Does an all you can eat sweets buffet sound good?"

Jeritza stared at me for a while longer and then gave me a curt nod. "Fine. This once, I will acquiesce. However, prepare yourself. Should I find the feast you promise lacking…"

"You'll cut my head off and toss it on a pike in Enbarr, yeah, yeah."

Jeritza nodded. "So long as you recall."

At that time, the bell rang. Seven chimes, reminding everyone that it was seven o'clock.

I froze and then let out a long sigh.

Jeritza smiled. "It seems that time has arrived for you to return to your duties."

I shook my head, well aware of the fact that Jeritza was enjoying my misery. "Sadist."

Jeritza raised an eyebrow. "And you are not?"

I sighed and walked off towards the exit. As I did, I waved at Jeritza and said, "Thanks again for the spar and the help."

Jeritza nodded and said, "Until tomorrow then. And remember to send me a missive as soon as the details of the mission have been confirmed. I will need to take the date into consideration and inform the children of my departure."

I shook my head at his words, realizing the soft heart he was hiding, and then headed to take a quick shower.

* * *

I stood at my podium, staring at the students sitting at the tables in front of me.

The Black Eagles classroom was quiet, each of the students looking back at me with somber focus.

Seeing I had their attention, I nodded and said, "This quiz will be your first proper assessment. While relatively short, it is an important gauge of both your learning capabilities and the future path that your studies will take."

A quiet murmur echoed among the cadets sitting to my left. My core students though, Edelgard and the others, remained calm and quiet.

I continued. "Know that if you find this difficult, the following lessons will only continue to increase in that difficulty. Think of this quiz as a measure of your performance and an adjustive measure. If you find it difficult, seek help. If you find it simple, continue as you have."

At that time, someone raised their hand. From the right side of the room… and someone who usually didn't speak up.

Bernie raised her left hand, trembling slightly, and said, "U-Um, Professor?"

I looked to her and said, "Yes, Bernadetta?"

Meeting my gaze, her trembling intensified. But after a deep breath, she gathered the courage to continue and said, "This… What happens if we fail?"

"Then you should reconsider your life choices…"

Bernie let out a small eep and quickly lowered her hand.

"…Is what I would say," I continued. "But this quiz isn't devastating even if you do fail." I paused, putting a hand on my chin, and said, "I will just… be forced to admit you to remedial lessons since I expected better of you as an officer student."

Another of my students raised their hand. Caspar.

I called on him. "Yes, Caspar?"

"Prof- I mean, Professor," he said. "What exactly are remedial lessons?"

I smiled and said, "Fail and you'll find out. Though I will add that if you find combat training difficult, you will not enjoy the remedial lessons."

Mostly because I would not be happy about having to spend extra time teaching them to catch up… and partly because the most effective way for them to remember the lessons if they failed with be with their bodies.

Did the students realize my intentions? The room became deathly quiet for a moment before clear gulps echoed from various students.

I waited for more questions. Seeing that there weren't any, I looked to Edelgard, who was sitting in the aisle seat in the front row of desks to my right, and said, "House Leader." I gestured towards a stack of quizzes I had on my podium and said, "If you would."

Edelgard nodded and stood up, walking over with measured steps.

When she arrived, I picked up the quizzes, the 'B' forms for the cadets, and handed her the pile. "Please pass these out to the students on the left."

Edelgard gave me a professional nod and said, "As you say, Professor." With that, she moved to the left side of the room and began passing out the quizzes.

I picked up the other pile of quizzes, the 'A' form and prepared to head to the right side of the room to pass them out as well.

Before I could, a male cadet with short black hair raised his hand. "Professor! Why is Lady Edelgard passing out the quizzes? She gets to look at the questions ahead of time! How is that fair?"

I looked at him, my face blank and impassive. Byleth's usual expression.

The cadet flinched, but he clenched his hands and said, "I get that there's favoritism, but this is-"

I scowled. "Are you doubting my teaching?" I wracked my mind to remember who that cadet was. While I couldn't bring his name to mind, I did recall his performance. "You, the one whose sword techniques I personally revised after you couldn't keep up?"

That time the cadet visibly wilted. "I mean… It's just…"

I shook my head and looked out at the cadet students. "I suppose you must all think the same… You must feel that I am giving an advantage to Miss Hresvelg by allowing her to pass out the quizzes."

The room was silent, but I could see the unspoken agreement in the gazes of the cadet students.

In the corner of my eyes, I saw Dorothea and the others seem to want to intervene, but seeing my expression, they held back.

Edelgard paused, partway to the front desks on the left side.

I sighed. "While there are many words I wish to say to you… I will leave it at this. The cadets and the officers have different quizzes, with the officers having a more difficult assessment as I expect more of them. Through agreeing to help pass out quizzes to you cadets, Miss Hresvelg is sacrificing her own time to ensure that you all have at least the same time advantage as the officers."

That male cadet became quiet, unable to retort.

However, someone else did. A young woman with glasses, purple hair, and a no-nonsense look about her. She raised her hand and said, "Professor. Do you mean to say that you are purposefully favoring the officers over us?" She shook her head and said, "Such a discrepancy of treatment is-"

"Don't get me wrong." I interrupted her and said, "If you want to take the officer's quiz, by all means do so. However, do know that I will treat you with the same standard as I do them… meaning that you will be subjected to same remedial lessons as them."

The female cadet froze.

I smiled, remembering the performance of that female cadet. "Considering your struggles in combat practice… Well. You will not _die_ in the remedial lessons… but you may wish that you had instead by the time you are through."

The female cadet lowered her head, avoiding my gaze.

I nodded and then said, "Are there any more questions?"

That time, not a person dared to speak up.

"Very well." I picked up the other quizzes and looked at Edelgard. "Continue, House Leader."

"As you say, Professor." Edelgard nodded and started passing out quizzes to the cadets.

Seeing that, I moved over to the right side of the room to start passing out quizzes to my other students.

In the front row of desks, Edelgard, Stella, Dorothea, and Hubert were sitting one seat apart from each other. Well, Edelgard was helping out right now, so she wasn't there, but the others were.

I placed a quiz face down on Edelgard's seat and then moved over to hand one to Stella.

My dear sister grabbed the paper with an exasperated look. _You need not have been so dramatic, my dear brother. Why, I think that you even scarred quite a few of the little ones._

I have to place my foot down somewhere. And you should take this seriously. Your remedial lessons if you fail will involve Flayn, so unless you want to spend more time with our bright and sunny cousin…

Stella's eyes widened and then she quickly glared at the quiz, as if trying to burn the questions into memory.

I shook my head and walked over to hand a quiz to Dorothea.

The former idol took it with a smile and whispered, "Thanks, Professor. Ah. And… is it that bad?"

I simply smiled back.

Dorothea tensed and then set the quiz down, seriously reading through it.

I walked over to Hubert and handed him a quiz.

He took it with a scoff and immediately set to work.

That finished the first row. In the next, Ferdinand, Bernie, and Lysithea were seated one seat apart from each other.

I walked over to Lysithea and handed her a quiz.

The white-haired young girl didn't say anything, simply taking it with a brief nod before settling down to work on it.

After that, I handed a quiz to Bernie.

The lavender-haired archer took the piece of paper from me with shaky hands, like a person on death row. But when she glanced at the questions, her eyes widened and she calmed down, surprised. "Eh? This is…?" She looked up at me, confusion in her eyes.

I shook my head, amused at her reaction.

Bernie worried too much. Despite her nerves, she didn't lose out to anyone in terms of theory and concepts.

Next off was Ferdinand.

The orange-haired noble took his quiz with a neutral expression, quietly radiating confidence.

And then it was the last row, with Caspar, Petra, and Linhardt.

I handed Caspar his quiz.

The blue brawler took it with a sigh, as if resigning himself already to failure.

Which was smart. Unless the guy had bugged Linhardt all night, he would probably need those remedial lessons… but the guy learned better through application anyway, so I'd already accounted for that in my lesson plans later.

Next was Petra.

The Brigid Princess smiled after taking it and whispered, "I give you thanks, Professor."

I nodded and then walked over to my last student.

Linhardt was fast asleep, his head already placed down on the table and using it as a makeshift pillow.

I shook my head and placed the quiz by his right arm.

He stirred a bit, opening an eye to look at me, and then yawned, lazily sitting back up.

With the quizzes all passed out, I headed back to my podium.

Edelgard finished about the same time and headed back to her seat as well. When she sat down, she glanced at me, a smile on her face.

I smiled back and then smoothed my expression, gazing at my students again.

It seemed they sensed my gaze, since everyone lowered their quizzes and looked at me.

"You have until lunch to finish the quiz. Of course, should you finish early, feel free to leave. Preparedness should be rewarded, should it not? Simply hand your quiz to me on the way out-"

Linhardt straightened and immediately began writing out answer on his quiz.

"-and you are free to go."

Linhardt flipped over his quiz and continued writing.

Seeing Linhardt's actions, I shook my head in amusement for a bit before looking back at the others. "Good luck. Some of you will need it."

With that, the sounds of papers rustling and both pencils and pens scratching filled the room.

And then Linhardt jumped out of his seat, grabbing his belongings with him. Holding his quiz in his right hand, he quickly walked up to the podium and then handed it to me.

I raised an eyebrow and said, "Done already?"

Linhardt bit back a yawn and said, "Too easy."

I shrugged and took it, placing it on my podium. After that though, I picked up another note that I had prepared for this exact situation and handed it to Linhardt.

The sleepy student took it, confused. "What's this Professor? More extra credit?"

I shook my head and said in a hushed voice, "Not really. It's more something that I thought you might be interested in and something I needed help with."

Linhardt scanned the note and then raised an eyebrow. "I see…" He nodded and looked up at me. "I'll get started on it then, Professor. And thanks for the break."

I smiled and shooed him away. "Alright, hurry up and get out then. You're intimidating the others."

Over half of the cadets were gazing at Linhardt now. Some were envious, others furious, but most shocked.

Linhardt followed my gaze and then rubbed the back of his neck. "I see what you mean… I'll be leaving then, Professor." He waved and said, "Try to not be too bored."

I nodded and then watched him leave.

After the door shut behind Linhardt, I turned my attention back to my remaining students.

The cadets seemed to be working under an invisible pressure, some stressing, others determined.

As for the others… Well, their reactions were obvious.

Caspar, Bernie, Ferdinand, and Petra were too involved in their quizzes to notice.

Hubert looked amused, Dorothea seemed exasperated, and Stella rolled her eyes.

Lysithea took Linhardt's actions as a challenge and began furiously writing as well, determined to not slack behind.

As for Edelgard, my dear fiancée shook her head, as if expecting the situation.

Seeing everyone was settling in to work, I glanced out the window.

The sky was blue and the sun was still low in the sky, far from noon.

Over three hours to go…

I sighed.

Let's see. What did I have to do again today…?

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Thanks for waiting and I hope the chapter was enjoyable! Finally back to full health. Also determined to just stay inside as much as I can now until spring. . Seems like everyone is being sick and contagious.

Anyway, Byleth is now officially in Smash, along with a bunch of awesome new remixes. I hope you guys have been having fun if you have the fighter's pass! Also, the final DLC for Three Houses should be out soon too... Not sure what I'll do with it, but here's hoping that they slide in an update for Crimson Flower with it too. :fingerscrossed:

Thanks again for reading and your input! I really appreciate as always. And hopefully I don't get railroaded with another flu or cold...

I'll see you tomorrow! Not sure how long the chapter will be, but there will definitely be something!

Until then, take care!


	74. Worries

When my students finished their quizzes, they had varying expressions on their face as they handed it to me. Some were relieved. Others, like Caspar, were resigned to their fate. Others still were completely confident and happy that it was finished, like Lysithea and Ferdinand. For the most part though, the students… mostly the cadets, were varying shades of stressed out.

Unfortunately, considering the fact that I was the one who had to grade their quizzes, I didn't have a shred of sympathy for them.

Well, that wasn't completely true. I did understand the feeling of taking a test for the first time in college and seeing people finish before I had even read the last question, as well as the dread of whether or not I actually did well.

There was also the fact that the cadet students weren't all bad. While I still had a hard time remembering all of their names, the fact that they properly paid attention to my lectures and pushed through training from hell endeared them to me somewhat.

Still didn't change the fact that I still hated grading papers though.

Anyway, after the quizzes, the rest of the day went by as usual. The only difference was that my students seemed to avoid me throughout the day. Even Stella and Delly were being a bit distant.

Was it because everyone was feeling down and worried after the quiz? Or maybe they could sense the stress and irritation radiating off of me. Regardless, time passed in a mundane blur, with myself going through the motions while sneaking in grading while I could.

And then I was in my room again, classes over and the sun starting to sink in the sky. Evening, the day shifting to night… and alone with a fat stack of papers thick enough to use as a makeshift bludgeon.

I sighed and shrugged off my coat as I walked in my room. Since I was done teaching, I might as well get a bit comfortable.

As I entered, I noticed a note left on my table.

"Hm? I don't remember leaving this here…" I walked over to it and picked it up.

The handwriting was a bit sloppy, but legible.

_I will be sleeping over at Bernadetta's room tonight along with some other girls. Remember to eat well and do not stay too late! I will be most upset if you do… As well as my dear sister-in-law._

_Your adorably cute and loving dear sister, Stella._

I shook my head. "She could have just told me directly…"

Despite everything, it seemed like my dear sister was embracing her role and living the life as a young teenage girl to the fullest.

I smiled and tucked the note into my pants pocket before walking over to my icebox and pulling out the leftover lasagna and cake.

The lasagna went into the oven. It would end up a bit dry after reheating… but it was better than nothing. As for the cake, I grabbed a clean spoon and sat down at my table, indulging myself for a bit before planning on what I would do for the rest of the day.

I leaned back in my chair and scooped out a bit of the cake to eat, staring at the ceiling.

The sweet and fluffy pastry, the quiet, the relaxed atmosphere and soft evening light… all of that caused my mind to wander a bit.

The fact that Stella kept sleeping over with the others concerned me, but knowing that she was at Bernie's room helped relieve that concern.

Though I, along with the other Black Eagles, wished that Bernie would spend more time outside of her room with the others, I couldn't discount the fact that her room had its merits.

Like a true shut-in, Bernie's room was completely stocked with supplies to last a fortnight siege if need be. Not only that, but it was completely fortified with hidden traps and wards the last I checked. Nothing lethal, but more than enough to give a casual intruder pause.

Almost enough for me to be suspicious of Bernie, if not for the fact that she was just clearly paranoid instead of hiding anything.

Well, that wasn't completely true. Bernie still wouldn't tell me about her dad or what he was like. From how she acted whenever the topic of parents came up though and her room… I was starting to wonder if a certain Count Varley wasn't involved with the Agarthans.

There was clear panic and fear in her eyes whenever the topic came up and the fortifications were enough that it would take even me some time to dismantle them all. And that was with me having my handy artificial crest letting me sense mana and everything.

Maybe Bernie was scared that her dad might suddenly show up at the monastery and drag her away to be married to some noble. After all, the only reason she managed to get here in the first place was through a kidnapping, if I remembered right…

I frowned and shook my head. "I'm supposed to be relaxing, not thinking about things like this."

I took another bite from my cake while I waited for the lasagna to heat up.

Count Varley… no, the capital. The Agarthans, Edelgard, Stella, Rhea, Lysithea… Dimitri and Claude.

There was a lot on my plate. Right now, everything was routine and mundane… but I was starting to worry. Arrangements were in place and there seemed to be time to spare. Some breathing room.

Still, I couldn't help but be a bit anxious. There was a time limit. Not just for Edelgard, but for everything else too. I had a trump card in the worst case scenario, and the Divine Pulse could be used in a pinch… but the mere thought of having one of my students harmed…

"Argh." I shook my head and shifted my body, putting the plate on the table. "I'm doing it again."

Maybe it was because I didn't have the time to think about it much now with my new routine, but the doubts were starting to creep in.

The memory of Dorothea being shot down by an arrow. Annette almost dying to the Agarthans.

_Being forced to cut Edelgard down with my own two hands._

I winced, feeling a sudden headache.

My heart throbbed, pounding in my chest.

I frowned and glanced at it, placing my hand over my heart. "No, it's not 'me' who's really concerned, is it?"

I didn't get a response, but I could sense it. Doubt and hesitation from the one who was usually quiet, the remnants of the person whose body I took over… or rather, shared.

"Still quiet, huh? Well, feel free to pitch in whenever you want. Lord knows I'll need all the help I can get at this rate."

Again, it was quiet. My words echoed in my room without a response. Then again, I wasn't really expecting one.

_Ding._

A bell sounded. The timer on my oven.

I glanced at the pile of papers still sitting in my bag and sighed before walking over to the oven.

If I had to settle in for another long night, I had better do it on a full stomach at least…

Xxx

Dinner was a quiet and brief affair. Of course, that was obvious considering the lack of company and the looming task at hand.

When I had properly fueled myself, I tossed my bag, still filled with the quizzes, over my left shoulder and headed towards the library.

I locked the door to my room behind me and walked along the path to the main building.

The sky was getting dark now, turning from orange to shades of violet. The sun was also gone, leaving only the orange streaks as signs of its presence while the moon was starting to rise in its place.

As I walked, I could see various students milling about. Of course, my students immediately walked the other way when they caught my gaze.

Understandable. I don't think I ever felt good coming across my professor on campus after I finished a test I didn't feel well about either.

When I entered the main building though, I noticed some other students leaving it. A familiar group at that, led by a woman in a white fur-hooded robe and a young man with tanned skin, curly black hair and a disarming smile.

The Golden Deer, led by Manuela and Claude. I didn't see Shamir anywhere, but the group were probably going to meet the sniper along the way.

Hilda, Marianne, Lorenz.

Ignatz, Raphael, Leonie.

Minus Lysithea, the group was all there… and raring to go from what I could see.

I shook my head and continued on my way before Claude or Manuela could see me.

While I was somewhat curious about why they were heading out in the evening of all times, I decided to trust Claude to keep things in line.

Knowing him and the fact that he'd be expecting the unexpected after what I pulled in the mock battle, they should be safe.

And if something did happen to go wrong…

No. I couldn't think like that.

Everything would be fine. I just needed to focus on what I could see and do right now.

I sighed and continued on my way.

Up the stairway, around the corner, past the offices… like that I arrived at the library.

It was well lit as always, candles and torches giving off a pleasant illumination. Not too bright but not dim enough to hurt the eyes.

That was one of the main reasons I decided to grade the quizzes here instead of in my room. After a long night straining my eyes writing out the quizzes, I didn't want to repeat the experience while straining my brain comprehending some dubious responses.

As I passed the bookshelves leading to the tables that could be used, I noticed another person was already there. A familiar sight.

Seteth glanced over at me, barely visible behind two piles of papers that reached his face. When he saw that it was me, he gave a slim smile.

I walked over to the row of tables behind him and said, "Another long night, Seteth?"

He shook his head and said, "Do you ask such obvious questions to your students? If so, I may need to reassess your level of expertise in being a professor."

Seteth's voice was serious, but the amused look in his eyes showed that he was anything but.

"Yeah. You and me both." I sighed and sat down behind him, placing my bag on the table before pulling out the quizzes.

Seteth glanced at it and said, "Ah. More assessments?"

"The first quiz… times thirty." I glared at Seteth.

He shrugged and handed me a thermos of coffee.

Seeing that, I decided it best not to anger the one providing me a necessary tool for my job and smoothed my expression before taking it from him.

Peering inside the thermos, it was the usual black coffee. Bitter as could be and filled to the brim with caffeine.

I immediately took a sip and relaxed. Now more hospitable, I glanced at Seteth's papers and said, "More of Rhea's hand-me-downs?"

Seteth sighed. "Yes… Though in this case, partially yours as well." He gestured towards the paper and said, "Letters, flyers, notices, official documents… there is much to be done to prepare for Rhea's announcement of you as her family, heir, and successor." He shook his head and said, "I do wonder if this trait of yours runs in the family. Both you and Rhea are causing me no end of work."

While Seteth said that in a light tone, I could sense an undercurrent of fatigue there.

I winced. "Sorry about that."

Seteth scoffed. "Apologies are bit late at this point… but I appreciate the sentiment. At least you know to be grateful… Rhea is not quite so thoughtful. Then again, she has always been that way. One of her flaws… or perhaps a strength, considering the times."

I nodded. "Right. Things were a lot different back then after all."

Charging bull-headedly forward, refusing to compromise… it was only in that way that Rhea managed to take back what was stolen from her… but even then, only in part.

She was similar to Delly, to my Edelgard in that way. However, whereas my Edelgard had suffered the bitter taste of defeat and reality, Rhea… didn't?

I paused to consider that.

Rhea seemed to know more than what she let on in the game. And she also mentioned a vision… Did she see it? A future where she realized her mistakes? No, there was something else too. The remorse she showed when talking about my mother. Regret…

If that was the case…

I sighed and shook my head… only to realize that Seteth was staring at me with narrowed eyes.

I forced back a flinch and raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"…Has Rhea told you?"

"Told me what?"

Seteth kept staring and then sighed. "She did. Of course she did. After everything… Well, I suppose it would have been hard for her not to tell you."

"…If you're talking about how you're technically my granduncle, then yes? Not sure how that works out considering how young you look… but the finer details are still a mystery to me."

A bit of the truth, a bit of a lie. Just to build up trust with Seteth.

"Hm." Seteth stared at me and said, "That is a lie. But not a complete one either… Hm."

I considered playing it off, but Seteth didn't seem to be bluffing, so I just sighed. "How does everyone seem to know when I'm lying these days?"

First Hubert, then Edelgard, now Seteth…

The green-haired advisor smiled and said, "That information would bereave me of a useful advantage, so you will have to excuse me if I do not reveal it. My personal 'trade secret' if you would."

I frowned.

"However," Seteth said. "You need not worry. Only those who are unusually perceptive or experienced and know you well would be able to see the difference between a lie and the truth."

"…That doesn't answer my question."

Seteth shrugged and then said, "In any case, I should return to my own papers." He turned around and waved a hand, dismissing the conversation.

I shook my head, but seeing that I wouldn't get anything else out of the guy, I decided to heed his words.

Glancing at my pile of papers, I sighed and took another sip from my coffee, settling in for yet another long night.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Getting back into the flow of things. Hope you don't mind the late upload.

A bit of a transition chapter before we meet up with Anna next chapter and get the mission details. After that, the plan is to have a chat with Rhea again before skipping to the mission... but we'll see.

Hope it was enjoyable, and thanks for the input last chapter! I really appreciate you all for reading, and I'll see you soon!


	75. Intrigue

After grading all of the multiple choice portions of the quizzes, the curve seemed to be relatively high.

Whether that spoke well of my teaching methods or poorly of my quiz design, I wasn't sure.

The distribution of the grades was the typical bell curve with a score of seventy as the average. That'd make the cutoffs the usual ones of C=70, B=80 and so on.

On one hand, I was happy that I didn't have to talk with many of the students.

Out of the thirty quizzes, there were only six students that scored below a D. Five were cadets… and the last was Caspar.

I'd pretty much expected that though.

Caspar had seemed troubled about the test and he didn't seem to be a good test taker in general. In practice, he did fine, but putting the theory into words wasn't his forte.

But that was fine. I'd been meaning to give him a different lesson plan as well since he seemed to take to the techniques I taught him without much extra help.

As for the cadets…

I said that remedial lessons would only be for the officers since I expected better of them, but I suppose making a note to Clark and Diane to work those five a bit harder wouldn't hurt.

Anyway, there was also the free response portion of the quizzes to grade. Those were more time consuming, so there were still a few left to grade. Mostly from the officers since that quiz had more questions.

Surprisingly, my students did better on the free response. The answers I read showed a good deal of comprehension and ingenuity… when it wasn't someone like Caspar who still tried to use pictures and sound effects to describe things.

Maybe it was the unfamiliarity with multiple choice questions?

Perhaps I needed clearer instructions the next time I wrote a multiple choice section. Probably helper tips like what it means to choose the 'best' answer and that only one of the answers would be correct.

A soft clink echoed in the room. The sound of a coffee mug striking against a table.

I blinked and looked towards it to see Seteth shuffling his papers together and pulling out another stack.

Seteth glanced over and said, "Finished already, Professor?"

"Not quite… but I think I might take a break." I glanced over at the window to see a few faint rays of light filtering in. "Stella and the others might yell at me if I coop myself up any longer."

Seteth nodded. "Indeed. I should tend to Flayn as well. She worries when I do not show up in time for breakfast."

I stretched and then placed my hands behind my head. "I don't know how you do it, Seteth.

The green-haired advisor simply poured himself some more coffee and said, "You get used to it."

I shook my head. "I don't think I want to… but at this rate I'll definitely have to." I sighed and then gazed at his thermos. "By the way, are you sure I can't have any coffee?"

Seteth paused and then said, "If you are that insistent, then you should convene with Miss Anna. She is the primary supplier of the coffee beans. I am sure that she would be more than willing to add you to the list. Furthermore, I believe that you have yet to introduce yourself to her, correct?"

I thought about it and then said, "Huh. Now that you mention it, I don't think I have."

Seteth nodded. "In that case, it would be imperative for you to do so at the earliest possibility. Though not as time dependent as the missions that the other houses must fulfill, your house's mission is no less essential."

"Yeah, I got it."

"I pray that you do." Seteth placed his mug back down and said, "Are you familiar with where she usually sets up shop?"

"The marketplace by the southern gate, right? I haven't actually visited it yet, but I'm somewhat aware of where it should be."

Seteth hummed and said, "I see. Then I will say no more." That done, he picked up his pen and turned back around to work on another stack of papers.

I started packing the graded quizzes in my bag and prepared to leave.

"Ah." Seteth lowered his pen and then looked at me. "There is one final thing I wish to say."

"Hm?" I paused after throwing my bag over my shoulder and turned towards him. "Yeah?"

"Despite everything that has occurred and your undeniably irrational actions… I wish to say that you are doing well, Byleth."

I blinked, caught off-guard at the sudden compliment. "Seteth?"

He smiled, the look of a proud parent, and then said, "In all honesty, I did not expect to ever have any additions to my family, especially in this day and age. The fact that I can now include you among that number as well as Stella, and that you two are not only capable but considerate as well… I am glad."

I rubbed the back of my neck, unsure of how to respond. "Well… you're welcome?"

Seteth nodded and said, "Keep up the good work, Byleth. Do so and I might just overlook the fact that you have kept me up these past seventy two hours sorting out the tangled mess of affairs that you have started."

I gave a nervous laugh and then waved, quickly exiting the room before Seteth could change his mind.

As I did, I caught sight of Seteth shaking his head, an amused look on his face, and then return to work.

* * *

Outside of the main monastery building, the sun was just barely peeking over the horizon and the sky was a vibrant orange, still the edge of dawn, but also a new day. Saturday, the third day of the Harpstring Moon. 5/3.

I bit back a yawn as I unlocked the door to my room and stepped inside.

The sound of soft breathing echoed in the room. Stella was still fast asleep.

Seeing that, I gently closed the door behind me and then, instead of tossing my bag aside like I planned, I knelt down and placed it lightly along the wall.

Stella stirred a bit in her sleep at that, her brows furrowing.

Did she hear me? I frowned and slowly walked over to check on her, but that didn't seem to be it.

My dear sister tossed and turned a bit in her sleep, her eyes fluttering beneath her eyelids.

"A bad dream, huh?" I wondered what she was seeing and whether it was a vision of the future, her past, or just her fears coming to life. Whatever the case though, it wouldn't do for me to just let that be.

Stella pulled a pillow against her chest and muttered beneath her breath. Most of what she said was unclear, but a few words like "Byleth", "idiot", and "don't go" were clear.

I sighed and ruffled her hair a bit. "You silly girl. Stop worrying so much, alright? I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

Stella stiffened, but then she relaxed, her breathing slowly calming down and returning to a restful sleep.

I shook my head and rearranged her sleeping area, moving the pillow back under her head and pulling the sheets up to her chin. After making sure that she was comfortable, I headed over to my wardrobe.

Seteth had made a valid point earlier.

I probably should check in with Anna… and there were a few things I wanted to buy too. If things didn't change, she should have the stat boosters for sale. While my funds weren't unlimited, I still had a decent amount from my last trip to the village. Enough to buy at least one stat booster, I hoped.

That or coffee. It depended on which was more expensive.

I hoped it wasn't the coffee, but considering how my luck was going recently with these kinds of things.

My coin bag was tucked in beneath a pile of clothes in my wardrobe. Not the most secure place to put it, but better than sitting out in the open.

I grabbed it, checking briefly to make sure it wasn't empty, and then placed it in my inside pocket beneath my coat. That done, I walked towards the door, pausing for a moment before I left the room entirely.

Stella's quiet breathing echoed in the room. It seemed like whatever nightmares plagued her had left.

Seeing that, I nodded and whispered, "Pleasant dreams, Stella. I'll see you later." That done, I closed the door behind me and headed off.

Next stop, the marketplace.

* * *

Aidem waved and said, "Greetings, Professor! I haven't seen you for a while!"

I waved back.

The southern checkpoint. In the game, and apparently in real life, the marketplace shouldn't be far past it.

Which was odd since I hadn't seen anything like that when I passed through all the other times, but maybe it was only open a few days? That or it was only open at certain times… either way, I had arrived at the checkpoint to complete today's objective: meeting up with Anna and securing my supply of coffee.

That and discussing the mission, of course.

I couldn't forget about that. Seteth would never let me live it down… and it was also good to confirm the details. As always, it wasn't smart to rely solely on what had happened in the game.

Aidem smiled at me and said, "Have you been well?"

I sighed and walked over to him. "Somewhat. I've been busy teaching and staying up long nights to prepare lessons and assignments."

He nodded. "I heard about that. You have the bulk of the students this year, right?" He shook his head and said, "I don't envy you. I have to train a few new recruits too, and it's stressful enough. I couldn't imagine dealing with as many as you do… and kids at that!"

"Tell me about it… Wait." I blinked and said, "You're training new recruits, Aidem?"

"Ssh!" Aidem looked around and then leaned over and said in a hushed voice, "It's Gatekeeper on the job, Professor!"

"Ah, right, right." I nodded and said, "But you're training new recruits, Gatekeeper?" I frowned and said, "Are the Knights of Seiros expanding their numbers?"

Aidem shook his head. "I'm not sure. I mean, I'm just a simple Gatekeeper, so I don't get to know all the details, but even my seniors have been busy training newbies, so I guess so?"

That… was slightly concerning. A bit relieving in that Garreg Mach wouldn't fall so easily in an invasion if there were more knights at hand, but the fact that it was necessary in the first place.

Was there more going on at the Empire that Rhea didn't mention? Could it be that Thales… or rather Lord Arundel was arranging things that required building up the forces at Garreg Mach?

Either way, it seemed like I'd have more than just a few questions to ask Rhea when it was time for that talk she mentioned we'd have.

"Ah, that's right!" Aidem tapped his spear on the ground and said, "I forgot to ask you, Professor! Are you heading out again today?"

I shook my head. "Not very far. I'm just heading towards the marketplace, actually." I glanced past the checkpoint and said, "Is it just down there?"

"Oh. I suppose you haven't actually visited it yet, have you Professor?" Aidem placed a hand on his chin and said, "Hm… Well, I guess I can show you there."

"It's fine. You can just point me in the right direction and-"

"No can do, Professor!" Aidem shook his head and said, "My job as Gatekeeper is more than just guarding this place, you know! It's to help guide visitors too!"

"I'm not really a visitor though?"

"But you _are_ new to the monastery. Here, give me a moment." Aidem moved to the side of the checkpoint and pulled a lever. A few seconds later, there was a grating sound and the gate blocking the checkpoint was raised.

I frowned. "Are you sure this is a good idea? You're on the job, right?"

Aidem walked back over and said, "And I am doing my job, Professor. Now come on and follow me. The marketplace is actually tucked a bit out of the way from the main path, you see."

"Hm…" I was skeptical, but followed behind Aidem anyway.

We took the path that I usually did to head down the monastery to the village, but about midway down Aidem took an abrupt left.

I blinked. "Huh?"

There was a fork in the path. One that definitely hadn't been there the last time I walked down the mountain.

Aidem noticed and laughed. "Yeah, it takes most visitors by surprise the first time." He took his spear and tapped against the ground. "None of us are too sure how it works, but most people get turned around here if they aren't careful. That's why I'm here!"

I blinked and stared at the path again, frowning.

It wasn't mana or anything like that.

Not that I could tell at least.

Was it just an optical illusion? Or was this a defense Rhea set up?

I could have sworn there wasn't anything like this when I passed by the last few times. And considering how close and direct it was…

Aidem turned back and said, "Are you coming, Professor?"

I shook my head and quickly followed. As I did, I glanced back and said, "That's weird. Really weird."

Aidem nodded. "Isn't it? One of the Seven Wonders here at Garreg Mach."

I paused. "Seven Wonders?"

"Yep! We've got this mysterious crossroad, the shadow students, the Abyss, the blue maiden, the rainbow flower, the room of requirements, and then the fish of mystery that sometimes shows up in the pond." Aidem listed them off and then paused. "Though, of those the only confirmed ones are the crossroad and the fish of mystery. The others are just rumors." He smiled at me and said, "But they're interesting, right?"

"Interesting… Well, that's one way to put it." I was familiar with half of those. The rainbow flower had to have been Priphea. The fish of mystery was that one fish you could catch in the game. The mysterious crossroad I just came across… and the shadow students seemed to be the weird glitches that could happen in the game where student shadows seemed to sometimes appear on the stairs and stuff.

The blue maiden, the Abyss, and the room of requirements though… the last one had to have been a joke. It was too poignant to not be. But the blue maiden and the Abyss…

I had a guess as to who or what the blue maiden was, especially if the rumor had been going on for a long time. But the Abyss was new.

A breeze blew past, causing the grass to shift. Nothing but the sounds of Aidem's clanking armor and our footsteps echoed as we moved along the path.

I'd call it eerie if not for the fact that I could see some people further down setting up stalls and caravans.

"Anyway," Aidem said. "How's your sister? Is she adjusting to monastery life well?"

I nodded. "Stella's doing good. Almost annoyingly so." I frowned and said, "She seems to be taking to the role of a teenaged student hanging out with her friends a bit too much, actually."

Aidem laughed. "That just shows how much you care, Professor!" He shook his head and said, "You two really are close, aren't you?"

"I wouldn't say we're that close… but I guess so." I paused, remembering that Aidem had a sibling too and said, "What about your brother? Have you talked with him recently?"

Aidem scratched the back of his head and said, "I sent him a letter, but I think he's still upset at me. But hey! At least this time I got a response!"

I… didn't know how to reply to that, so I just stayed quiet.

Aidem said, "He's doing alright. It seems like he's not as mad at me for leaving now too. From what he said, it seems he's actually being a bit disillusioned with the Empire from how things are in the capital."

I frowned. "What's going on in the capital?"

Aidem shook his head. "He wouldn't say, just that things are weird recently. The Regent Emperor is apparently gathering forces and expanding the army. While it's a good thing since it means more jobs, it's not a good sign." He paused and said, "Do you have any idea what's going on, Professor? I mean, you and Lady Edelgard are like 'that', right?"

"I take offense to you saying we're like 'that'… but as for what's happening…" I placed my hand on my chin and said, "I've got guesses. None of them good… but that's all I've got. No hard news, only conjecture."

Aidem furrowed his brows and said, "That's worrying." After a while though, he shrugged. "Guess whatever comes will come though. You can't change the inevitable, right, Professor?"

"I disagree with those words… but I like that attitude. Keep on being positive, Ai- er, Gatekeeper."

After some more walking, we arrived at the marketplace.

Although the interior of the monastery had been fairly empty due to the early time of day, it was the opposite at the marketplace. A few merchants had already arrived and were bustling about to prep their goods while some mercenary troops were propping their banners up along with their caravans.

In short, it was a lively scene that I hadn't really expected to see so close to the monastery.

"Well here we are, Professor!" Aidem turned to me and said, "I probably should get back to my post now."

I glanced at him and smiled. "Thanks for the help, Aidem." I turned back to look at the path, remembering how I missed such an obvious turn and said, "I would have wasted a lot of time without you. And thanks for telling me about the Seven Wonders of Garreg Mach." I frowned and said, "I'll have to look into those sometime."

"Always a pleasure, Professor!" Aidem saluted and then walked off. "Take care! I'll be around until noon, but I'll remember to tell the next shift to let you in if I miss you!"

I waved at him as he left and then turned around to look at the marketplace. "Now… Where's Anna?"

Fire Emblem's familiar mascot merchant… was nowhere to be seen.

No matter how I looked, I didn't catch sight of either her familiar red ponytail. I also didn't hear anybody that sounded like her either.

Maybe she wasn't here yet?

I _had_ arrived a bit early.

Considering the kinds of things Anna usually sold, maybe she was taking her time and being safe.

I shrugged and decided to take a look around in the meantime then. "Let's see…"

Merchant, merchant, mercenary troop… blacksmith?

At the far end of the marketplace, which was really just a flea market with propped up stalls and caravans, there was a stall setup with a forge, anvil, and other blacksmithing things that I couldn't identify laying around.

The person manning the place was a woman with short orange hair swept to the side beneath a steel mask that framed her face. She was in the middle of lighting her forge and sorting out materials.

Curious, I walked over to watch.

The blacksmith noticed me approach and looked up when I got within speaking distance. "Can I help you?"

I paused, considering the question for a bit. Eventually, I said, "Not really? Blacksmithing is an interest of mine, so I wanted to take a look." That and see if I couldn't borrow some techniques to try and make things with Nabatean gold.

"Hm…" She brushed off her hands against the apron she was wearing and said, "You seem pretty young, but those clothes aren't what a student would wear… You the new professor?"

I nodded. "That's right. And I might actually be coming by often in the future." I stepped forward and held out my hand. "Byleth's the name. Byleth Eisner."

The blacksmith gave me a weird look and then stepped forward, grabbing my hand. "You can call me Blacksmith. Name's not too important."

I finished the handshake and frowned. "Blacksmith, huh? That's an odd way of being addressed."

"Not so much as odd as being named Byleth. Who names their kid after a King of Hell?" Blacksmith shook her head and said, "Anyway… It's just a family tradition. I'll use my real name when I've got the chops to match up to my predecessors… til then though, Blacksmith's all I've got."

I was curious about her story, but it was clear that I wasn't going to get anything out of her. Instead of probing her then, I decided to ask about something else. I glanced over at her anvil and the swords lying on the ground beside it and said, "Do you take commissions? I've been interested in getting a sword made for myself recently… maybe for some of my students too."

Like Edelgard and Dorothea… Stella too whenever she got around to fighting seriously with a weapon instead of her magic.

Blacksmith shook her head. "I'm not confident in making anything from scratch, but if it's reforging or repair work, I'm your gal."

I glanced at the scattered swords around her anvil and said, "Those aren't original creations then?"

Blacksmith followed my gaze and shook her head. "Those are just scrap metal. Failures… If you're interested though, feel free to take a look." That said, she went back to setting up her forge.

I walked over to the anvil and picked up one of the swords laying on the ground. The moment I did, I noticed what she meant.

It was completely wrong. The balance was off, the blade was sharp, but the edge rippled and twisted as if the maker hadn't decided on a form and was pulled in different ways during its making.

I wasn't an expert on swords, but even I could see that it wasn't made right. While it wasn't unusable, after all the blade was still sharp and made of metal, it wasn't something that a swordsman could use normally.

Blacksmith glanced over from the forge and shook her head. "Don't think those reflect my skills. They're just empty shells I made trying to copy my Master."

I froze when I heard that and then looked back at the sword. "Empty shells…?"

Blacksmith nodded and said, "Mm. My Master was able to attach a Crest to the weapons and make them stronger, enough to rival those Heroes' Relics." She sighed and said, "I'm still not there yet though. Most I can do is just repair a Hero's Relic or strengthen and reforged ordinary weapons."

I turned around to look at her and said, "You say that so casually… But I don't think any ordinary blacksmith could do that, right?"

She laughed and said, "An ordinary blacksmith with a Hero's Relic? They'd be too scared to risk damaging it to even try."

"And you aren't?"

Blacksmith shrugged and said, "While I can't make my own things yet, I've got everything else down." She patted to her chest and said, "When it comes to reinforcement and reforging, even my Master said I was better than him."

"…I'm really curious about your Master now."

Her hair color, the fact that she was a blacksmith who didn't want to give her name.

That reminded me of another person, one who used magic to create an infinite number of swords.

But it was impossible for that guy to be here. Someone like that showing up would have been the equivalent of dropping a nuke in a pond.

It must have just been a coincidence. An intriguing one, but definitely just that.

Blacksmith stretched and then said, "Anyway, you planning to just stand there all day, Professor Eisner? Or do you actually have business for me?"

"Well…" I glanced at the sword and said, "If this is a failure, could you rework this into an ordinary sword for me to use? I'm down one at the moment and don't really trust the ordinary shops for what I might have to use it for."

"Sure. It'll cost you though."

I nodded and reached into my coat pocket to pull out my coin bag. As I did though, my fingers brushed against something else. Confused, I pulled them out.

A trio of diamonds glimmered in the sunlight. Red, blue, and green.

It took me a moment to remember why I had them, and then I recalled that I had left them in my coat since the last time I went out. I was surprised they were still there and hadn't fallen out, actually.

"Hm?" Blacksmith noticed the diamonds and said, "Geez, they pay you that much for being a Professor? Might need to up my rates then."

I shook my head. "No, this isn't part of my salary. I had this from before I was a professor… But would this be enough?" I handed them over to her.

Blacksmith took the diamonds from my hand and looked at them. "Hm… Bit much for just a steel sword. I think I can use this red one to make something good though."

"Something good?"

Blacksmith smiled and handed the other diamonds back. "All I'll say is that you won't be disappointed. Next time though, I'd appreciate being paid in coins. It's nice and all using colored gems in forging, but it doesn't put food on the table, you know?"

"Ah, in that case…" I pulled out my coin bag and started to untie it.

Blacksmith held up her hand and said, "This time is fine. It'll be a fun learning experience… For the future though, my rates are market price for repairs and reforges. Ah, but lower if you give the materials, of course."

"Got it."

With that said, Blacksmith got to work. Taking the sword that I was looking at, she walked over to her forge and placed the blade inside. When she did, she glanced back at me and said, "It'll be a few hours til I'm done. Don't think you have to stand around and watch. I'm sure a professor like you has more important things to do."

I nodded. "I understand… I still want to watch though."

She shook her head. "Weirdo… but whatever floats your boat." She shrugged and then held out her hand, gathering flames to send into the forge.

I kept quiet and watched, paying careful attention to the flow of mana around her.

Immediately, heat and mana gathered. Not only that, but they wove together to form a spell in a complicated pattern that amplified the flames Blacksmith was using, increasing the purity of the fire as well as its heat.

It was impressive but not something I couldn't do, but also something that not many other could. Hanneman might be able to figure it out if he could see it, but for a seemingly ordinary blacksmith to not only pull it off but do so with such ease was pretty insane.

The flames converged on the sword and spread through it, instantly turning the blade into white hot liquid steel. Yet, somehow, it maintained its shape while Blacksmith used a pair of tongs to carry it over to the anvil.

Again, impressive, but nothing new to me. Stella basically did the same thing before she had gotten her new body.

Blacksmith let the sword stay on the anvil, still wreathed in flames, and then reached for a hammer. Afterwards, she took a breath and then raised it in the air A seemingly ordinary act to the naked eye.

But I saw it differently. And what I did saw made me freeze in shock.

Blacksmith's mana seeped into every part of the hammer and her body, threaded through like a complex tapestry. Not only that, but the flames threaded through the sword and keeping its form started to resonate when she raised her hammer.

Alive. That was the only way I could put it. As if the mana in the sword, her body, and the hammer were as one and breathing in unison, pulsing and moving like one whole.

Blacksmith swung her hammer down, striking the sword. When she did, the mana and flames around the sword scattered, but also bound back together, tightening around its form. Impurities were wrenched out, and the gaps that remained were filled in with mana, weaving seamlessly into the metal itself.

No wonder she could repair even the Sword of the Creator in the game. This… wasn't simple blacksmithing anymore.

The concept was similar to what I did in combat. Wreathing mana around my limbs and body to move faster and attack. Yet, it was also different. Where I wrapped mana, she wove it. Where I treated mana as a tool and aid, she treated it as a part of her own body- no, used it to treat her tools as an extension of herself.

It was… hard to describe. While I could see it, at a first glance I could also tell that there were layers to what she was doing that I couldn't even begin to fathom. But what I could see gave me ideas. Hypotheses and potential paths I could use to save my Edelgard and Lysithea. I just-

"Hm?" A female voice called out. Not Blacksmith's but a different one. Light and somewhat teasing. "You there! In the coat!"

I blinked, broken out of my trance, and then turned towards the voice.

A woman was standing behind me.

Light red hair a few shades darker than pink, tied in a long wavy ponytail and matching colored irises. She wore a white blouse with a strange dark brown sash over it, emblazoned with the Crest of Ernst.

Though she was different and I'd never met her, I could still recognize that appearance. How could I not when it was essentially unchanged across all the Fire Emblem games?"

Anna placed her right index finger on her chin and carefully scrutinized me, her eyes narrowed. "Dark blue-green hair, gloomy expression, and a fairly handsome face… You're the Professor that's going to help me out, right?"

I blinked. "Assuming you're Anna, yes. But just who-"

"Finally!" She lunged forward and grabbed my arm, pulling me away. "You have _no _idea how long I've been looking for you!"

"W-Wait a minute, I-"

"Wait?" Anna turned to look at me and huffed. "I've been waiting long enough! Time is money, and you've made me waste a whole day of both!" That said, she pulled me along with surprising strength, giving me no way out.

I glanced back at Blacksmith, who was completely oblivious due to being engrossed in her work, and sighed before resigning myself to dealing with Anna instead.

On the bright side, at least I didn't have to go looking for Anna.

On the down side, it was starting to look a lot like trouble seemed to find its way to drag me into it…

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Er, no real reason why this update is late. I was working on other projects and before I knew it over a week had passed, haha...

Anyway, thanks for reading! I'll make sure to update the next chapter soon, promise. Tomorrow night at the latest.

Til then, take care!


	76. Deal

Anna's stall was off to the side from the rest, almost tucked away like a secret shop. A person would have to be actively looking for it between everything else to find it.

Which explained why I couldn't see it from just casually looking around earlier.

It didn't help that the stall itself was actually part of a wagon that opened up, leaving the inside covered in shadows.

No wonder why Anna was called the Secret Seller… Though I guess that made sense considering how valuable her wares were.

Anna let go of me after arriving in front of the stall and then stormed inside the wagon.

I paused, wondering if I should follow or not.

Loud clanging, thuds, and crashing echoed from inside the wagon, along with brief cursing.

…Maybe it was best for me to just stick around outside for a bit.

After a while, Anna reappeared from the shadows of her secret shop carrying a pile of books. She slammed them against the countertop and then glared at me. "You."

"…Me?"

She kept glaring for a while and then sighed, slumping over her countertop. "Never mind. I suppose I can't blame you too much. You've been busy too, I guess."

"Hm?"

Anna shook her head and straightened. "I suppose we should get introductions out of the way first." She put a bright smile on her face and held out her hand. "Name's Anna! I'm a merchant who slings wares all across Fodlan… and beyond!"

I grabbed her hand. "Byleth Eisner. Recently hired Professor at Garreg Mach Monastery… and the one that you requested to help on your latest venture, I believe?"

Anna shook my hand and then tilted her head. "Huh. You're a lot nicer than my intel says…"

"Intel, huh?" I let go of her hand and then crossed my arms. "Well, you can't believe everything you hear."

The red-headed merchant nodded. "Mmhm. Must've forgot about that in all the rush." She sighed and then looked at me again. "Well, should we get down to business? …Ah, this will probably be a while so… Hm. Well, someone that works at Garreg Mach should be trustworthy… here." She walked over to the side and opened up the door leading insider her shop.

I blinked and said, "Are you sure you want to let me inside?"

Anna huffed. "What do you take me for? I might like profits but for a merchant, trust is more valuable than gold. And I'm sure that's the same for you as a Professor, right? So stop standing around and get in here already."

Seeing that she wasn't going to budge, I decided to humor her and walk inside. As I did though, I glanced around at her wares.

Anna pulled out a chair and placed it across from her own seat. As she did, she noticed me looking and smiled. "See something you like?"

"A lot of things."

An entire shelf of magical rings. A rack of silver shields and a Hexlock shield propped in the center. A box full of Master Seals, another filled various items that emitted shocking amounts of pure mana.

I shook my head as I sat down on the chair and said, "I might frequent your shop more often if those are your normal wares… granted I'm a bit restricted by my salary, but maybe when payday comes."

Anna laughed, "Well I'll be looking forward to it then, Professor! Now… about the mission."

It seemed like pleasantries were done now. I nodded and focused on her.

"To begin with…" She looked at me and said, "How many students will be coming with us? I know that Captain Jeralt will be there, but are the knights coming too?"

I paused, considering that for a moment. "Well, I don't think any knights will be coming along since they're all busy…"

After all, if that wasn't the case then Rhea would have sent them instead.

"…As for students, it will be just my main core. The officers, I mean, so… ten?"

Anna frowned. "That's not a lot."

I nodded. "True. But out of everyone, they're the only ones combat ready."

The cadet students were doing well, but most of them couldn't even pass the basic conditioning regime without fainting at the end.

Considering how that was standard for our mercenary troop and that we hadn't lost any people once it had been implemented, I really didn't want to risk any lives if I didn't have to. Not to mention that using the Divine Pulse on something that could be prevented otherwise would be a waste… and a tip off to our foes.

Anna sighed. "Well, I suppose it's better than nothing."

"How many were you expecting?"

Anna leaned back and said, "Well that Pallardo guy said he'd bring a small caravan and supply the wagons. Considering that… hm, I'd say no less than twenty?"

"Twenty, huh?"

Knowing my luck and how things had been unfolding, that number would probably grow… Ah.

I looked to Anna and said, "What _are_ we doing anyway? I know that you requested us for a business venture, but I haven't been informed yet."

Anna rolled her eyes and said, "Maybe if you had talked with me earlier, you would have found out already."

I gave her a blank stare.

Anna shook her head and said, "Argh, whatever." She picked up one of her book and placed it in front of me, opening it. "I've found some notes rummaging around a recent purchase mentioning ancient ruins predating the Adrestrian Empire."

"Ancient ruins, hm?" I glanced down at the book to skim what it said.

Four apostles, an ancient treasure, and… the goddess?

I frowned and looked back up at Anna.

She smiled and said, "Interesting, isn't it? I can already feel the gold coins pouring in once we get this information out!"

I placed my hand on my chin. "No wonder Seteth said this was important."

"Hm?"

I lowered my hand and shook my head. "Nothing." At least, nothing I could say out loud to Anna. I had my suspicions about what this was about… but I couldn't say anything quite yet.

"Well anyway, the reason why I wanted to hire you guys was because of that other guy. He seems somewhat reliable since he frequents the monastery, but it's always good to bring some insurance along, you see?"

I nodded. "And it'd be hard for them to pressure you if you had Knights of Seiros escorting you."

Anna smile. "Quick on the uptake! I like that. Much better than some dull nobles I have to deal with."

"I try. But anyway, where exactly is this ancient ruin and when are we leaving? Also, what exactly do you expect us to do?"

"In order," Anna said, "Near a forest at the edge of Enbarr, the nineteenth, and escort me while keeping an eye on that Pallardo guy."

Enbarr, huh? It really seemed like Fate was trying to pull all the houses away… Claude was probably right about needing to be careful. Also, the nineteenth… that gave me a little over two weeks to prepare.

Anna continued. "If all goes well, we can split the profits fifty-fifty!" She paused and said, "Well I guess for you it'd be more like a quarter since the church would take the other part. I hope you don't mind?"

I shook my head. "I'd have to take my students on a mission regardless, so the fact that we're doing this is actually a plus for me."

"Great!" Anna smiled and held out her hand. "To a pleasant cooperation!"

I blinked and then shook her hand. "To a pleasant cooperation."

Anna finished the handshake and then leaned back to stretch, letting out a long sigh. "Finally, that's out of the way."

I raised an eyebrow. "Was it that stressful?"

Anna frowned and crossed her arms. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to find people on such short notice for something like this? Especially qualified help?"

I paused and then remembered that my dad liked to have a month's preparation for requests like Anna's and then nodded. "You have a point."

"I was really stressed out, you know? I'd be losing out on a lot if I just let this go and that Pallardo guy already found out about it too!"

"Pallardo…" I frowned and said, "You keep mentioning that guy. Is he someone important?"

Anna frowned. "Hm? Don't you- Ah, you probably haven't met him yet if you haven't even met me." She placed a finger on her chin and said, "Hm… well, he's a bit of a weird guy with a funny hair cut? Like what a noble might have but funnier. Brown hair, green eyes… Kinda shady?"

An image flickered in my mind. A memory not from when I played the game, but from an actual battle.

A rough bandit, making off with stolen goods from the dormitories. Teleportation magic. Running away like a coward… and stealing the gifts that I gave my students.

"Ah. Pallardo." I narrowed my eyes. "That guy."

Anna blinked and then her face grew serious. "You know something, Professor?"

"…Let's just say that it'll be good to stay on our toes." I wasn't sure if it was the same person… after all, I didn't remember going on this mission in either of my memories. However, if it was and knowing how everything was going off the rails, it was better safe than sorry.

She nodded. "I'll remember to keep that in mind."

I shook my head. "Sorry to place more stress on your plate."

Anna stretched and said, "It's fine. A merchant's gotta get used to these kinds of things." She paused and said, "But sorry about dragging you away earlier. I usually keep a cooler head, promise." She frowned. "It's just… I've been arguing back and forth with that guy the past few days about whether I'd actually be bringing people along and…"

I shrugged. "It's fine. Stress is stress."

Anna sighed. "I'm glad. I don't know how I'd face my sisters if they heard I messed up such a big deal… You have no idea how much I've invested coming all the way to Fodlan."

I nodded, but made sure to keep a straight face.

It was possible Anna just meant coming from outside of Fodlan like to Almyra and the other countries, but considering her role in the other games… Well, I didn't want to risk the chance that she might know or be involved in the Outrealms.

If Anna was and the Agarthans caught wind of that… Well, things would get complicated.

I'd rather not let it get that way, so I made sure to keep calm.

"Well," Anna said. "Time is money and I've spent a lot of it already… Not to mention that business has been a bit slow lately." She stood up and said, "Now, I don't want to come across as rude, but would you kindly leave? Ah, unless you've got some other business with me."

I paused, remembering the other reason I came to meet Anna and said, "You wouldn't happen to sell coffee beans by any chance, would you?"

Anna huffed. "Do I sell coffee beans, you ask? The better question would be…" She moved to the side and dragged out a wooden chest, stuffed to the brim with familiar dark beans. "How much do you want?"

"Well…"

* * *

Anna grabbed my right hand with both of hers and gave it a firm shake with a bright smile on her face. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you, Professor! If you've got any other requests, by all means send them my way! Especially if you've got any more of those gems to sell!"

I nodded. "I'll definitely remember that. On a side note, we need to have tea sometime." I picked up the bags of coffee beans I'd bought and tucked them under my arms.

"Here, let me show you out." Anna walked over to the door and opened it, holding it for me on the outside.

I nodded at her and walked through.

"By the way," Anna said. "You and Blacksmith were working on something when I grabbed you, right? Are you in need of any weapons? Because I've got a bunch if you are."

I paused, considering it for a moment, and then said, "Send me a flyer with your stock when you've got the chance. I'll take a look and get back to you on that."

"It's a deal!"

"Good." I nodded and said, "Then I'll be off."

"Wait."

"Hm?" I turned around to look at Anna.

The red-headed merchant stared at me, a finger on her chin. She frowned, as if concentrating and said, "I didn't want to point it out earlier… but there's something odd about you. My merchant senses are saying that you've got a big secret, one that could lead to fortune if you use it right."

I coughed and averted my gaze. "Yeah, well… We can talk about that after the mission over tea or something."

Anna gasped. "Why Professor! Are you flirting with me? I might sell a lot of things, but I'm not for sale!" She paused and then said, "…Well, if you have anything else like those colored diamonds lying around, it might be negotiable."

I immediately placed my bags down and crossed my arms. "Nope. Not happening."

The fact that I was already engaged to Delly and was fending off Dorothea's romantic advances already aside, getting romantically involved with Anna… any Anna considering my true nature was bound to end in a huge mess.

I already had a lot on my plate, so I _definitely_ didn't want to mess with that chaos.

Anna laughed. "Just teasing you, Professor." She leaned against the side of her shop and said, "You've got such a stern face that I couldn't help it."

I picked up my coffee again and said, "Yeah, well I'd like for you not to try that again. I might take my business elsewhere if you do."

Anna dropped her cheerful expression and looked a bit panicked. "Hey! Don't go threatening a girl's source of income like that! What am I going to do if word gets out that I got blacklisted by a professor at Garreg Mach?!"

I rolled my eyes. "Then don't go around messing with people. Golden rule and all, you know? Treat people like how you want to be treated." I paused. "But you're right about that. Sorry. Didn't mean to make you panic."

Anna let out a sigh. "Guess I deserved that…"

I glanced up at the sky and said, "Anyway, I should get going. Time is… well, not money for me, but very limited regardless."

Anna nodded. "Alright, Professor. See you around then… Ah, but I am interested in tea. If you're serious about working with me, I have a few other business ventures I want to pass your way."

"I'll keep that in mind." With that, I headed on my way back to the monastery… or so I planned. Before I did though, I went to check on Blacksmith to see the progress on her mystery weapon.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Had to make arrangements to get ready for IRL things last week... and then Cindered Shadows dropped. Let's just say I was a bit busy.

The next chapter will be coming out tomorrow. I'm a hundred percent sure that things are squared away now, so I can finally get back to the usual update pace.

Thanks for reading and leaving your input! It keeps me inspired to keep writing, so I always really appreciate it.

See you tomorrow! Specifically, within 24 hours!


	77. Cinders

When I headed back towards Blacksmith, I noticed that the marketplace was a lot livelier than when I arrived.

Looking around, I could see a few students milling about as well as some travelers.

It seemed like more time had passed than I anticipated. It would probably be bad if I didn't head back soon. Judging from the position of the sun in the sky, it wasn't far from noon and lunchtime.

I sighed. Hopefully Stella wouldn't be too bothered. Though she _had_ been fast asleep when I left. Maybe she was still sleeping?

I could only hope.

Carrying my bags of coffee beans with me, I made my way past the merchants towards Blacksmith's workshop.

A few students glanced my way as I did, curious as to who the person carrying around an armful of coffee beans was. Of course, since most of the students in the Officers Academy were my own, the few that did glance my way immediately looked away when they saw my face.

I didn't know whether to be satisfied or annoyed that it had become a self-preservation instinct to look away from me. But at least it saved me some trouble.

It didn't take long to reach Blacksmith's workshop. While Anna's shop had been on the other side of the marketplace and out of the way, the marketplace itself wasn't 'too' large. Before long, I was once again approaching Blacksmith and her workshop.

Everything was the same as when I left. The forge was fired, various scrapped weapons lay along the ground by the anvil, and all the other blacksmithing tools that a blacksmith used were scattered about.

However, there was something different.

I stopped a short distance away from Blacksmith's stall and muttered, "Another customer?"

There was a man standing in front of Blacksmith's workshop. He was tall, at least a head or two taller than me. His hair was curly and wild, but slicked back, kind of like a greaser in the old days. In addition to that, there was a wild look about him, his eyes sharp and his smile more like a wolf's grin than a human's.

In short, he was a dangerous looking person, one familiar with the underworld.

But strangely enough, he had a student uniform on. Granted, it was silver and his shirt was open, exposing a toned body, but there was no mistaking the design.

I frowned.

It was odd. From that uniform, he should be a student. But I didn't recognize him. And at this point, I would definitely recognize him if he was a student considering how much I had been teaching. Garreg Mach was fairly small, after all.

The strange student was talking to Blacksmith about something.

Curious, I moved a little closer to listen in.

The strange student placed his hands behind his head and said, "Can't thank you enough for this, Pal. I'll pay you back. Promise."

Blacksmith rolled her eyes. "Just tell me how long this latest pair lasts. I already know you guys are dirt poor, but I'll consider the feedback as payment."

The strange student laughed. "Alright. I'll remember." At that time, he noticed me standing there. "Hm?" He turned around and lowered his arms. "Who are you?"

I raised an eyebrow. Before I could say anything though, the strange student smiled.

"Wait. I know who you are!" He grinned, a wolfish expression, and said, "I think Yuri talked about you a bit. You're that new professor, right?" He laughed and crossed his arms, holding his head up high. "You must have a lot on your plate if you've come all this way to recruit the King of Grappling."

I frowned. "King of Grappling?"

The self-proclaimed King of Grappling froze and then said, "Hold on. You don't know who I am?"

I carefully stared at the man, scanning through both sets of my memories. But after a while, I shook my head. "I don't think so."

His face didn't ring a bell. While it looked vaguely familiar, it was the sort of familiarity that you had when seeing a person that suited an archetype than actual familiarity.

The title 'King of Grappling', on the other hand, I did recognize. But only in passing. Apparently he was a guy who was infamous in various fighting rings across Fodlan. But for the guy in front of me to be that person… was a bit unlikely, right? After all, this was Garreg Mach Monastery, esteemed academy… or so Seteth said.

There was no way riffraff like that would be hanging around.

"Sheesh." The King of Grappling shook his head and said, "Guess I need to try harder to get recognized by the Ashen Demon." He sighed and said, "Well, whatever." He reached down to the ground, picking up a bag that had been sitting there and slung it over his shoulder. That done, he waved at me and said, "See you around, Professor. If you need me… Hm. Guess you wouldn't know where to find me." He shrugged. "Well, maybe I'll catch you later."

Like that, the man left.

I stared after him for a bit before walking up to Blacksmith. "Who was that?"

"Him?" Blacksmith shrugged and wiped down her hands on her apron. "Just a regular. He's not good at paying, but we've got an arrangement worked out between him and his friends."

"…I see."

I didn't, but I suppose some information was better than none.

Blacksmith walked back over to her anvil and said, "I suppose you're back to check on your sword?"

I didn't follow her back, but I nodded. "That's right. I don't want to rush you, but an estimate would be appreciated."

Blacksmith sighed and pulled a blazing orange sword out from her forge before placing it on the anvil. She stared at it for a bit and then shook her head. "Sorry, Professor. It'll be a bit longer than I thought. The diamond you gave me is really pure, so I underestimated how strong it was." She looked back at me and said, "Not that it's a challenge, but it might not be done for a couple of days."

"I see."

That made sense. After all, it was essentially crystallized mana. And something that defied the rules of mana, according to Stella.

Blacksmith rolled her shoulder and picked up her hammer. "Don't wanna keep you here all day. You also look like you've got some things to carry back." She glanced at the bags of coffee beans and said, "You go on ahead and back to your professor things. I'll send someone over to get you whenever I'm done."

I was a bit disappointed to see that the sword wasn't finished and that I couldn't stick around to watch. After all, while she didn't say it outright, I knew a dismissal when I heard one. Still, she had a point. Instead of saying anything else, I nodded and said, "I'll leave you be then. Have a good day, Blacksmith."

"Yeah, yeah." She waved and then went back to her work.

Seeing that, I shifted my bags of coffee beans and headed back to the monastery.

* * *

This time around, I didn't get that weird effect. Whether because I had experienced it before or because the source of it recognized me, the trip back to the southern gate was uneventful.

Still bothered me that I couldn't figure out what was going on there, but I didn't dwell on it too much.

At the southern gate, as I approached it, the gatekeeper there waved his hand. Aidem. Of course, since he was on duty, he didn't do anything too enthusiastic. It was only when I arrived at the checkpoint did he smile and start speaking.

Aidem glanced at my bags and said, "Wow! Looks like you did a lot of shopping, Professor!"

I nodded. "It was a long overdue trip."

"I'll say." He smiled and said, "It must have been hard staying awake without any coffee. Glad to see that you managed to stock up on some."

"Mmhm… Ah, right." I dug around in my pocket for a bit… or tried to. My hands were full though, so I couldn't quite reach it.

"Oh, let me, Professor." Aidem reached out to grab my bags, but I shook my head.

"It's fine. Could you just grab the bag out from my pocket though?"

Aidem nodded and did so. "This?" He raised a smaller bag in front of me.

"That's the one."

It was something else I remembered to buy from Anna last minute before I left.

Aidem stared at it and frowned. "This looks like some smoked meat. Were you that hungry, Professor?"

"Well, I can't say that I've been eating well… but that's not for me." I shifted my bags and said, "I figured that you could use something to munch on while you were on guard duty. It's not much, but think of it as a small repayment for your help."

"Professor!" Aidem shook his head and said, "You didn't need to get me anything." He unwrapped the bag and said, "And especially not something this expensive. It's smoked Dagdan Ham, isn't it?"

"Is it?" I shrugged. "I just asked for what was good."

"Professor." Aidem got stern and said, "You need to be more responsible with your money! You might be a professor, but your salary will run dry really soon if you're not careful!"

"Relax. I've got a lot of savings stacked up. Helps when you don't have the usual vices as a mercenary, you know?"

Aidem paused. "…I suppose that's true. You don't seem like the type to go out drinking or spend it on women like the other knights and mercenaries."

I started to nod and then paused. "Wait. What does that mean?"

Aidem wrapped the bag back up and said, "I just say it like how I see it, Professor! And that's a good thing, isn't it?" He smiled and said, "You're the perfect example of an upstanding person!"

"…So you're saying I'm a prude?"

Aidem coughed. "Of course not. Just that… you're more serious than most people?"

I shook my head, a bemused smile on my face, and then said, "Well, I'll be heading back then."

Aidem gave a sheepish smile in return and rubbed the back of his neck.

As I walked away though, Aidem called out. "Ah, wait Professor!"

"Hm?" I turned around.

Aidem glanced at the surroundings and then reached into his armor before pulling out a rolled up piece of parchment. "Claude left this for me to give to you when he left the other day. I almost forgot about it."

I frowned and grabbed it. "Claude did?"

Aidem nodded. "He seemed pretty serious about it. Not sure why he trusted me of all people to deliver the message, but I'm glad to be of help."

"That's because you're a trustworthy person, Aid- I mean, Gatekeeper. But a message, huh?" I stared at the parchment for a bit before tucking it in my shirt.

If that guy went through the trouble of sending the message this way, it was probably best to keep it quiet until I was sure I wasn't being watched.

Though for him to have Aidem pass it to me… Did that mean that only this place wasn't being monitored?

Aidem nodded, surprisingly serious. "I'm honored, Professor. But take caution when opening that. I'm not sure what it's about, but Claude was unusually somber when handing it to me. I hope it's just good news, but you never know."

I nodded back. "Thanks again."

"It's my duty, Professor. Ah, and other than that, nothing to report! Take care on the rest of your day, alright?"

I waved at him and continued walking.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

So lots of things happened again. .

First of all, I played through the new DLC. As I did, I saw that a good portion of it actually tied neatly with what I laid out and had planned, only slightly different. Because of that, I spent a while debating whether or not to use it in the story. I'm still iffy about it, but I might slowly start introducing things from it.

Second of all, I got accepted into law school. All three that I applied to. I only expected to get accepted into one, but now I have to weigh the options and pick. Not to mention campus tours, informational meetings, etc. Busy stuff.

Third, because of all that, I lost a bit of momentum in writing. I've had this chapter done for a while, but was unsatisfied with it. It's not getting better anytime soon though, so here it is.

Thanks for sticking around and waiting, as well as reading. I really do appreciate it.

I won't make any promises about updates again since my luck seems to be bipolar recently, but I hope to see you soon. Til then, take care and stay healthy.


	78. A Gentle Breeze

When I arrived back in my room, I was greeted by an upset young teen with long blue hair and matching eyes.

Stella huffed and crossed her arms. "And just where have you been all day?"

I closed the door behind me and set my bags down against the wall. "It's only been all 'morning', Stella. No need to be too concerned."

"It is my job to be concerned! Knowing you, the moment you are outside of my sight some other troublesome event is bound to occur!"

I did my best to not think about the strange man I'd met and simply shrugged. "And I appreciate the sentiment, but you need to be concerned about yourself as well." I stared at her and said, "How was your sleep?"

"My sleep? Why would you-" She froze and then glared at me. "Were you watching me sleep?"

I poked her head and walked over to my wardrobe, shrugging off my coat. "I'm not the type of person to do something weird like that. But I've also noticed that you've been a bit clingy recently. Not to mention that you were tossing in your sleep when I came back this morning." I hung my coat in my wardrobe and then turned to face Stella. "Just what were you dreaming about?"

She tensed and then shook her head. "That is none of your business!"

"Isn't it?" I closed my wardrobe and then walked over to my chair, sitting down and staring at my dear sister. "You might not really be my sister, but I do care about you like one, you know? Even as weird as this turn of events came about."

Seriously, who would have thought that it would end up like this?

I shook my head and said, "You can tell me if something's bothering you, you know, Stella? There's no need to keep it to yourself."

Stella stared at me, her face unreadable, and then she shook her head. "I am fine."

"…If you say so." I shrugged and stood up, stretching.

Stella glanced at my bags of coffee beans and then said, "I take it that Seteth finally supplied you with your coffee?"

"That guy?" I shook my head. "As if. I was lucky enough that Anna was willing to sell me some." I paused. "…It's going to be tricky to store it properly, but I should be able to figure it out."

Just gotta make some vacuum tight containers later. Shouldn't be too hard. Just need a container, a rubber lid, and then some fire to seal it… or something. But that was later. It should be good for a few days without being a concern.

"Anna, you say?" Stella walked over and sat down in the chair I left behind. "I take it you finally ironed out the details of our mission?"

"Something like that. Mostly logistics. Still gotta send out some letters to people to make sure, but we should be good to go. The plan is to head out in the next week or so."

"So soon?" Stella frowned. "Will that not be an issue in regard to your lessons?"

I smiled. "So now you're worrying about lessons, are you? Concerned that you'll fall behind in your studies!"

Stella rolled her eyes. "Nothing of the sort. I simply do not want my dear older brother to work himself into an early grave." She paused and then narrowed her eyes. "And speaking of your work, just how late did you work last night?"

I coughed and then said, "Don't worry about it. What's important is that I got most of the grading done."

"Byleth."

"What? It's fine. Not like I need much sleep anyway."

"_Byleth!_"

"…Fine. I haven't slept yet, alright?"

Stella let out a long sigh and shook her head. "You are insufferable."

"I should be saying that to you."

She rolled her eyes again and said, "It is fortunate that your body is more resilient than most, but take care. Rest is important, especially so for you. While you may not physically fatigue so simply, the mental fatigue will surely catch up to you. After all, if one such as I takes the time to achieve proper rest, surely you must as well."

"…Isn't that because you're back in a teenage body?"

"Byleth."

I held up my hands. "Fine, fine. I'll remember. Tonight I'll turn in early. That sound good?"

"…It would. However, it seems you have forgotten."

"Hm?"

Stella tilted her head. "We are holding the celebration for Ferdinand's day of birth. Or have you forgotten already?"

I paused and then placed my hand on my face. "Right. They did say that, didn't they?"

And Hubert was the one organizing things. Official letters and all too.

"…I'm going to have to deal with nobles, aren't I?"

Stella nodded. "Indeed. Which is why I brought up the point of you resting. Hm." She paused and then said, "Well, you have nothing else planned for the day. I suppose it is a bit early, but 'that' is viable."

I frowned. "What do you mean by 'that'?"

Stella shook her head. "You need not concern yourself with it, dear brother of mine. For now…" She held out her hand.

I stared at it.

"Go on! Take my hand, you fool!"

"Why?"

Stella rolled her eyes and then stepped forward to grab my hand. "Honestly… IT seems that you will have quite the ways to go before the ball."

"Huh?"

"Simply shut your mouth and follow, fool brother of mine."

* * *

I stared at the tea cup placed before me with a bemused smile.

Across from me, Edelgard did the same, my dear fiancée shaking her head.

After the abrupt exit from my room, Stella had dragged me over to the gazebo and placed a platter of tea and various sweets on a table before shoving me in a seat. Not long after, Hubert walked over, leading a rather confused Edelgard. After showing her to the seat across from me, he left as well.

Edelgard shook her head. "I suppose you are just as in the dark about this situation as I am, my love?"

"I am… and you're really getting too smooth with that, Delly."

Edelgard smiled. "I don't know what you're talking about, my love."

I sighed and then poured a cup of tea. When it was filled, I gestured towards her. "Want some?"

"That would be lovely."

I nodded and passed it her way.

Edelgard took the cup from me and then took a sip. "Hm. Hresvelg blend. It seems that someone was prepared."

I poured myself a cup and said, "Obviously not me. I didn't even know what was going on or that I'd be dragged out to see you."

"Why I'm hurt, my love. Are you tired of seeing me already?" Edelgard frowned and lowered her head, looking up at me with watery eyes.

I rolled my eyes and said, "That won't work on me. And stop it."

Edelgard laughed. "I suppose that is a bit too much. But I must admit I _am_ a bit hurt. Did you not wish to see me today, my love?"

I shook my head. "It's not that. You know I'm always glad to see you, Delly."

"Then what is the issue?" She took another sip from her tea and said, "You cannot be telling me that my company is not relaxing."

"I'm just worried about the work I've got to do. I still haven't finished reading through all of the short response questions, you know?" I sighed. "I got coffee today and managed to finish all of the multiple choice yesterday, but it might be another long night ahead for me." I shook my head and then took a sip from my tea. It was a bit bitter though so I reached over to grab a pastry.

There were a few different ones to choose from. Sugar cookies, donuts, strudels… in the end I decided to keep it simple and grabbed a sugar cookie.

Edelgard wrinkled her brow and looked at me. "My love. Have you… stayed through the night doing your work?"

I considered how to respond to that question while I munched on the cookie, using it as a small break to gather my thoughts. Faced with Edelgard's accusing look though, I couldn't really bring it in myself to say anything but the truth. In the end, I sighed and said, "I… might have stayed up til dawn, yes."

Edelgard set down her tea cup and crossed her legs, leaning back in her chair. "Attempting to adhere to your duties is one thing, my love, but I think you are taking it too far."

"As if. This is the bare minimum for a professor."

Edelgard shook her head and said, "If your class consisted of just us officers, perhaps. But with how many students you are teaching in the Black Eagles, it will be impossible to teach them all equally." She paused. "Though I suppose this is my fault."

"Hm?" I raised an eyebrow. "How is this your fault, Delly?"

She shook her head and said, "While I did admit that I was concerned about students progressing at inequal rates in lessons, going so far as you are now to appease everyone is too much."

"…I don't think I'm doing anything extra though?"

Edelgard leaned forward and laced her fingers together before giving me a blank look. "You wrote two separate tests for the officers and cadets. Furthermore, you took the time to plan out extra lesson plans for us officers and even wrote one out for Lysithea within a day of her transferring."

"Isn't that to be expected though?"

Edelgard sighed and leaned back. "Honestly… You're a bit too self-sacrificing at times, my love. No, I suppose it was that way in the past as well. If that wasn't the case, they wouldn't have followed you."

I frowned, wanting to answer Edelgard. However, I didn't really have a good response, so I decided to finish up my cookie instead.

"In any case," Edelgard said. "I suppose I understand what this is all about now."

"You mean this tea party?"

Edelgard nodded. "Of course. It's a way to get you to relax and rest. As a matter of fact…" Edelgard stood up from her chair and then sat down on the grass next to me.

I stared at her and frowned. "Delly?"

Once she was settled in, she looked up at me and then patted her thighs. "Here."

"…Here?" I blinked and said glanced down. It took me a moment to figure out what she was asking and then I sighed. "I am not going to use your thighs as a pillow, Delly."

Edelgard flushed a bit, but she remained determined. "It's clear that you're not going to rest unless someone forces you. Stella might be reluctant to do so, but as your fiancée, I insist that you take some time for yourself."

"A bit bold of you, declaring that so freely. Aren't you afraid someone will overhear?"

"Don't try to distract me, my teacher. I won't let you off this time."

She changed her way of addressing me again. It seemed like she was serious about this.

I stared at Edelgard and sighed. "You aren't going to change your mind?"

"And allow you to continue to overwork yourself? Never."

"And you're not afraid of being embarrassed? What will people think if they see the future Adrestrian Emperor letting some nobody use her lap as a pillow?"

Edelgard frowned. "You are not some 'nobody', my teacher. And if they do… then what of it? My life is my own. I have never cared about what others think of me. That much you should know."

I sighed. "Annoyingly well. That's an unfortunate trait of yours that's both a boon and a bane."

Edelgard stared at me and said, "My teacher."

I gestured towards the food. "What about that?"

Edelgard glanced to the side. "Hubert?"

In an instant, the dark mage appeared, as if waiting for his cue. "Allow me, Lady Edelgard."

With an ease that was well-practiced, Hubert quickly swept up all the pastries and tea, stacking it in his right arm. At the same time, he pulled out a neatly folded blanket from under his left arm and placed it on the table. That done, he vanished.

I shook my head, bemused at the sudden actions.

Edelgard stared back at me and said, "Well, my teacher? You have no more excuses." She paused and then said, "Unless you find my body too grotesque to be in contact with."

I sighed. "That's not fair, Delly. But… I guess you have a point."

I _had_ been trying a bit too hard recently. It had been a while since I got some quality sleep.

"Still…" I glanced back at Edelgard's thighs and then up at her. "This is a bit…"

Edelgard rolled her eyes and then reached out to grab me, pulling me off my chair.

"H-Hey! That's-"

I was worried that I'd knock her over, but firm arms held me in place before shifting me around. In a few moments, my vision shifted and then I was staring at the sky with Edelgard's face looking down at me.

She had a content smile on her face and nodded. "There we go."

I frowned, looking back up at her. "That was a bit abrupt, don't you think?"

"For a man like you, a bit of force is needed. After all, you aren't the type to take the initiative."

"Hey, I proposed to you, didn't I?"

"After Stella prompted you to."

"…She told you, didn't she?"

"It was obvious."

I sighed and leaned back. "Well, guess I've got to listen to my wifey, don't I?"

"W-Wifey?"

I smiled and poked Edelgard's cheek. "Fine. I'll take a nap. But don't blame me if you get embarrassed."

"Hmph. As if I would be ashamed of anything involving you."

"I warned you."

I yawned.

Maybe it was since I was with Edelgard. Maybe it was the fatigue finally catching up to me. Either way, I actually felt a bit drowsy lying there.

Edelgard noticed and said, "Go to sleep, my love. Everything will be alright."

"Sure, sure…"

I closed my eyes, letting the fatigue wash over me.

The last thing I remembered was the scent of roses and a soft brush against my lips. "Sleep well, my love."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

. Had to rearrange a lot of plans because of the virus. A bit annoying, but I have some time to write I guess. A bit of fluff and slice of life this time. Still getting into the flow of things again, but I hope it's a good read. Thanks as always and make sure to stay safe out there!


	79. Winds of Change

A far-off memory, hazy like a distant horizon.

He couldn't remember how long it had been. All that he could remember was that there was someone who had waited for his return.

Someone who could not endure the wait and fell into despair.

He had been too focused on his path. So focused that he didn't realize it until it was too late.

In a place far from him, she quietly slipped away from the world.

By the time he learned about it, all that he had left was regret. No, even that wasn't allowed for him.

She waited for him to fulfill the promise. But in the end, she could not endure the wait.

He could not save her. Instead, he had doomed her.

The only thing in the world that she wanted was to see him, one last time. Yet, he couldn't even grant that simple wish of hers.

It was painful. Countless regrets flooded his heart. Enough that if he had another chance, if he had another life, he swore that he would never make such a mistake again.

But...

Was that person me? Or was that...?

* * *

I woke with a start.

Static filled my ears and my vision distorted, blurring at the edges.

I blinked a few times and tried to focus, piecing together my fuzzy consciousness. It took a while, but I managed to clear my head and take in my surroundings.

An orange sky with fluffy white clouds lazily drifting across it. A soft breeze carrying the lingering scent of roses blew past, ruffling my hair.

It seemed that I was outside? But why was that?

I suddenly realized that there was something pressed against my left side. It was a bit cold, a few degrees lower than my own body temperature, but not uncomfortable. In fact, underneath the warm sunlight, it was a comfortable sensation.

Curious, I glanced over to see what it was.

A beautiful young woman lay fast asleep, tucked under a soft quilted blanket. She had taken my left arm as her pillow and was nestled up against my left side. Her long hair, a pure white like freshly fallen snow, was slightly frazzled, probably from her shifting in her sleep. Her facial features were sharp and austere, but at the moment were set in a soft and relaxed smile.

For a brief moment my mind froze, unable to comprehend the situation. But that didn't last long.

Edelgard- No. My Edelgard. Delly. That was the beautiful woman sleeping there.

The final bits of drowsiness vanished as I recognized that fact and everything came back to me.

Staying up late to grade those papers, meeting Anna, heading back to my room only to be forced here to meet with my beloved princess... and then falling asleep with her watching over me.

I shook my head and slowly sat up, trying my best not to disturb the sleeping beauty next to me.

Edelgard frowned, immediately tightening her grasp.

I sighed and reached over, lightly brushing her hair.

With that, she relaxed. As if assured that I wouldn't leave her, Edelgard loosened her grip on me.

I took the chance to slip out and then stood up. Still, as I stared at her sleeping form, I couldn't help but think that I wasn't the only one who hadn't gotten enough sleep recently.

It was supposed to just be a short nap, but from the color of the sky, it seemed far longer than that.

I didn't have to think too hard to figure out what happened. Seeing me sleep must have caused Delly to get sleepy too.

Delly probably kept a valiant effort to stay still and watch over me, but while her lap was a comfortable pillow for me, it wouldn't have been a comfortable position for her to fall asleep in.

Still, she would have been too stubborn to move. The fact that she had meant...

A slight rustle sounded from close by, near the trimmed hedges.

I glanced towards them.

The moment I did, a familiar dark silhouette emerged.

I nodded my head and called out to the figure. "Bert."

Hubert walked forward, his dark eyes flitting towards Edelgard's sleeping form for a brief moment before settling back on me. A thin smile formed on his face and he said, "I see that Lady Edelgard is resting quite well. But what of you, Professor? Did you enjoy your slumber?"

I smiled back and nodded again. "Thanks for keeping an eye out. Glad to know I can always count on you to be sensible around here."

"But of course, Professor." Hubert's smile widened a fraction and he said, "After all, the Goddess knows that you lack commonsense in spades."

I brushed the grass off from my clothes, ignoring Hubert's barbed response, and then said, "How long was I out?" I glanced at the sky. "It seems pretty late."

The dark mage shrugged and then walked over to Edelgard, adjusting her blanket. After that, he headed back towards me. He pulled out a golden pocket watch from his shirt and glanced at it briefly before saying, "Approximately three hours, twenty minutes, and ten seconds. Of that time, an hour was spent on Lady Edelgard's lap before she began to fatigue. Following that, I… subtly suggested to Lady Edelgard that she should rest as well before securing the area." He put his pocket watch away and said, "I trust that you do not mind?"

Subtly suggested, huh? Knowing that guy, I wouldn't put it past him to have put Delly to sleep with a spell. Still, it was in her best interests so I shook my head and said, "Of course not. After all, it's for Delly's sake, isn't it?"

Hubert nodded and said, "You know me well."

"Well enough." I stretched, rolling my shoulder, and took another look around.

Stella seemed to be the driving force behind getting Edelgard and I to relax, but I didn't see my wayward sister anywhere nearby. Not only that, but there was a surprising lack of students in general.

I turned my attention back to Hubert and said, "You wouldn't happen to know where my sister went, would? Or where all the other students are?"

Hubert shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Professor. However, if I were to hazard a guess, they might be preparing for Ferdinand's birthday celebration. After all, it is only a few hours away."

I nodded. "Right, right. Birthday celebration. That makes sense-" I paused. "Wait. Birthday celebration?"

Hubert raised an eyebrow. "Have you forgotten?" He shifted his gaze over to Edelgard and said, "I assumed that the purpose for this rendezvous between you and Lady Edelgard was to replenish your energy for this evening... Was that not the case?"

I sighed. "Well... There goes my plans." I paused and glanced at Hubert. "You wouldn't happen to know if I could-"

"Skip the celebration?" Hubert shook his head. "If you wish to leave Lady Edelgard to fend off those vicious nobles by herself as well as cement your character as the worst kind of fiancé, by all means, go ahead." He paused and then said, "On second thought, such a scenario would be unlikely. Lady Edelgard has been quite insistent about preparing for this occasion. And paired with your sister's nature... Well. It may be that the Black Eagles will have a new professor by the morrow."

In short, I was a dead man if I tried to skip it. Well, it probably wouldn't be that bad... but I would definitely be feeling guilty about it later. Not to mention that this _was_ for Ferdinand, the same guy who carried us in the mock battle when we fought against the Blue Lions...

Delly shifted in her sleep, tugging the blanket closer to herself.

Seeing that, I steeled my heart and turned back to Hubert. "Well... go on then. Knowing you, I'm sure that you've already laid out an itinerary and game plan for the evening."

Hubert grinned. "Indeed. Now, the first order of business..."

* * *

After a brief summary of the upcoming events, Hubert ushered me towards the bath house with a pile of clothes that were tailored specifically for the occasion and written instructions on how to wear everything.

Supposedly, they were made to coordinate with Edelgard's dress later in the evening. They were also carefully designed to 'maintain the dignity of the Adrestrian Empire' and emit an austere atmosphere.

"Still..." I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror and frowned. "This is a bit excessive, isn't it?"

The base outfit was fine. For my top, I had a fancy black tunic with gold highlights running along the seams. That was paired by black suede pants, again with gold highlights, and black leather boots with, yet again, gold highlights.

Even so, while I thought the outfit was a bit gaudy for my taste, it was still manageable. What made it overbearing though were the accessories.

A crimson silk sash was tied around my waist, serving as a belt. Meanwhile, I had to wear a thick black leather overcoat with a popped collar and red velvet lining. Then to top it off, there was a white cravat, or whatever it was called, stuck into the collar of my shirt.

I adjusted the collar of my shirt and then took another look at my reflection.

The man staring back from the mirror was a far cry from the one I was used to seeing. Narrow eyes that seemed to not care about anything in the world. A thin frown seemed as sharp as a drawn blade. Lightly tousled dark green hair that had been parted to the side and was being held in place by some presumably expensive mousse.

"Looks like the clothes really do make the person, huh?" I muttered those words and then leaned back to get a better look at the outfit as a whole.

That man in the mirror was terrifying. Even though I knew it was me, I could say that objectively.

Byleth's natural cold demeanor and elegant features were emphasized by the clothes, giving the impression of a tyrant. No, not just a tyrant. From the color scheme and attire, it would be easy to mistake me for Dracula. The only thing different was the green hair but if it were the color after gaining Sothis's power, I would be a dead ringer for the infamous Lord of Shadows.

Even so... while I couldn't deny how fitting the outfit was, I did have to question its origin. Since Hubert was the one who handed it to me as well as drafted the instructions on how to wear it, I had to wonder if the guy was just taking the chance to project his sense of fashion onto me. The guy _did_ have a similar outfit post-timeskip, after all.

Then again, it was possible that Adrestrian fashion actually was like this. It was an Empire, after all, and if it even vaguely followed Earth's history of development, such an outfit wouldn't be odd.

I shook my head. Whatever the case, it wasn't too important. I'd finished changing, so I should probably go get Hubert. With that thought in mind, I picked up my previous clothes and prepared to head out. But as I did, something fell to the ground.

A rolled up parchment. It bounced against the floor a few times before coming to a rest.

I frowned and picked it up, wondering if it was a quiz I had left to grade. But as I unraveled it, I remembered. "That's right. That guy left me something before he left."

A discrete message that Claude went out of his way to pass to me through the Gatekeeper. One that he chose to use a roundabout way of sending instead of dropping it off or handing it to me personally.

Realizing that, I took a look around the room, carefully observing and sensing with mana for anything that might be used for surveillance.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. And there probably wouldn't be, considering that both Rhea and the Agarthans had better things to do than spy on naked teenagers.

But just to be certain, I sent a mana pulse to disrupt anything I might have missed before unwrapping the parchment.

There wasn't much written. Just a single line.

Still, after reading it I couldn't help but frown.

_The timeline has changed. Be cautious of the Abyss._

I frowned. There it was again. The Abyss... Did that guy mean it in a metaphorical way, or was he being literal? And if the latter, just what was he referring to?

A knock echoed at the door, followed by a stern voice. "Professor. May I presume that you are fairing well in changing into your formal attire? Or do you require my assistance?"

"I'm fine. I'll be out in a bit. Just gotta adjust one last thing."

"Very well," Hubert said. "But do hurry. There is not much time left, and it would be prudent to ensure that nothing is out of place before we depart."

I conjured a small flame and burned the paper, reducing it to ash before washing it down the drain. Afterwards, I grabbed the rest of my clothes and walked out of the bathroom.

Hubert stood in the middle of the hallway, arms crossed and tapping his fingers against his arm. The dour young man had changed into a similar outfit as mine, a black suit with a high-collared cloak. When he noticed me staring, he raised an eyebrow and said, "What? did you expect me to remain in my student attire for an occasion such as this?"

I shook my head. "No. Just... lost in thought."

"Hm." Hubert gave a brief response and then gave me a once over. "Well, your hair can't be helped, but I suppose everything else is presentable. At the least, you finally look the part of your reputation." He spun on his heel and said, "Come. Lady Edelgard awaits… and I will be most displeased if you keep her waiting any longer."

"Yeah, yeah. You'll put my head on a pike in Enbarr… I've heard it enough, Hubert."

Hubert nodded and said, "So long as you know. Now, let us quickly return your belongings and head out."

* * *

A/N: Hoo boy. Thought everything would settle down quick, but never anticipated everything to blow up like this. T_T

First the pandemic and then the protests and riots... Yeah. Been a bit tough trying to find both proper headspace and time to write.

Couldn't let the anniversary of three houses pass without an update though, so I did my best to cobble something together.

Hope everyone's been doing well in the meanwhile, and I'm trying to get back in the routine of writing, so I'll hopefully see you all soon. It'll likely be every other day for a bit until I get back into the groove.

Thanks for waiting and as always, thanks for reading!


	80. Calm Before the Storm

Purple streaks had begun to fill the orange sky as Hubert and I arrived at the noble dormitories.

I had been a bit worried about drawing attention, but it seemed like most of the students were either making similar preparations as me or were away on missions since we didn't come across anyone on our way there.

Hubert led the way up the stairs in the dormitory, taking clean and purposeful strides.

Since I hadn't actually gone to the dormitories before, I just followed Hubert and did my best to get used to walking around in my formal outfit.

Hubert must have noticed my discomfort since he glanced back and frowned. "You will have to do better than that when we arrive, Professor. That is, unless you intend to lose face for both yourself in Lady Edelgard among the upper nobility."

I resisted the urge to adjust my collar and gave a curt nod in response. "I'm aware, Bert."

"So long as you are." Hubert continued walking and said, "Due to various circumstances, more eyes will be present than we originally anticipated. It would be prudent of you to be cautious."

"More eyes?" I frowned. "That-"

A door opened from down the hall up ahead and then a charming female voice called out. "Oh, stop giving the Professor a hard time, Hubie. I'm sure he'll do fine."

I paused and examined the new arrival.

An elegant young woman with lightly curled brown hair walked towards us. She wore a sleeveless silky maroon dress that bared her shoulders and hugged her body. A black bodice around her chest emphasized her assets and her delicate pale arms were covered with detached sleeves that matched with her dress. To finish off her attire, the young woman wore a pair of black leather boots that went up to her thighs, just barely showing a hint of her white skin between the edge of her skirt and the top of the boots.

I blinked. The voice was familiar and I recognized her, but it took a bit to reconcile the beautiful young woman in front of me with my student. "...Dorothea?"

She laughed and covered her mouth. "Oh my. Could it be that my dear Professor is finally falling for my charms?"

Hearing her teasing words was enough to draw me out of my stupor and I shook my head. "Do you really have to flirt with me so much?"

"Oh? So you realize that I'm flirting with you, huh?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'd have to be a brick in order to not realize it. I'm just purposefully ignoring it."

Dorothea placed her hands on her waist and said, "Well then... Looks like I've got a challenge in front of me. Don't think I'm letting up just because you gave a ring to Edie."

"...Well, I guess I can't deny the fact that you're driven," I muttered.

Hubert cleared his throat and then turned to Dorothea. "Has Lady Edelgard finished with her preparations?"

Dorothea finally shifted her attention from me and then said, "Pretty much, but she's still braiding her hair." A frown crossed the former songstress's face and she said, "Edie wouldn't let me help with that, so I decided to get some fresh air when I ran into you two. And speaking of that..." She turned back to me and gave me a once over. "My. I knew you cleaned up well, Professor, but this... Well, I suppose there's no mistaking your family lineage."

I resisted the urge to step back from her intense gaze, remembering that I'd have to face similar or worse stares soon enough, and said, "Is that so?"

Dorothea nodded, an uncharacteristic serious face on. "Definitely. If I didn't know better, I would think that you were a visiting Count or Marquis." She let out a sigh and said, "I was worried that you might not look the part. I mean, you're handsome enough but the sort of dignity that a noble has needs a long time practicing, you know?" She scrunched up her nose and said, "And it's a pain if you mess it up too."

I frowned. "Is it that serious? This is just a celebration for Ferdinand's birthday, isn't it?"

Hubert sighed. "Again, you show your lack of experience in these affairs." He shook his head and said, "Even were this simply a reception that was established for Ferdinand's sake, it would be imperative to treat it with the highest level of caution. A person's reputation, unlike their life, may be slain with a misplaced word or mannerism."

I nodded. "I'm aware. But… aren't there just going to be students present?"

Hubert let out an exasperated sigh and put a hand on his forehead. "For all your talents in instructing and fighting, how are you so inept in these affairs? Even Caspar of all people can manage better than this…"

My frown deepened and I crossed my arms.

Dorothea stepped in, pushing Hubert lightly aside, and said, "Don't mind him, Professor. Hubie's just making sure that you aren't going to make things worse for yourself later on. As for your question…" Dorothea placed a finger on her chin and said, "Well, it's true that most of the people attending will be your students and people you know from around the monastery, but this isn't going to be in the context that you're usually in."

"I know that, but…" I narrowed my eyes, trying to sort out my thoughts.

Hubert shook his head and said, "Regardless of the nature you might have with the students attending, Professor, tonight those attendees will be serving as the eyes and ears of their respective houses. And I mean noble houses, not those in Garreg Mach." He narrowed his eyes and said, "It would behoove you to be on your guard tonight, Professor. While I have carefully selected an outfit to emphasize your authority and naturally harsh demeanor so as to reduce the number of those that would approach you, eliminating all of them is impossible. It would also be detrimental."

I leaned against the wall and said, "Right… But isn't the point of me showing up with Delly to show how I didn't coerce her into marrying me? No, that I'm not a dangerous person? Showing up like this… It's a bit like declaring war, isn't it?"

The outfit that Hubert handed me was definitely not one that gave off a non-threatening vibe. In fact, it was bound to amplify the Ashen Demon persona, similar to how it would be if Jeritza suddenly showed up in his Death Knight attire.

Hubert nodded. "That was indeed the original course of action. However… Well." He adjusted his gloves and said, "A certain individual will take care of that matter for us. Now, what matters is that you simply accompany Lady Edelgard and present yourself as a man suited to stand beside her… Or is that too much to ask, Professor?" Hubert gave me a mocking smile at the end of his words.

I didn't rise to the challenge and simply shrugged. Still, a certain individual, huh…?

Dorothea stretched and then glanced over at Hubert. "Well, Hubie. Mind accompanying to the reception while Professor waits for Edie?" She adjusted her dress and said, "I'd ask Caspar, but Bernie and Petra already dragged him off."

Hubert raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "My, Dorothea. Asking me of all people to accompany you… Are you plotting to eliminate me by adding your suitors to my list of enemies?"

Dorothea giggled and hid her face behind a fan she pulled out from her dress. "To think that you'd be capable of making such a jest… You're not planning a 'sudden accident' for me so that Edie can have Professor all to herself now, are you?"

Hubert smiled. "I would never."

I glanced between my two students and frowned. Those words were a bit too sharp to be idle banter. There wasn't any ill-intent that I could sense from either of the two, but even so… "Should I be worried, you two? Or is this just a new way to flirt?"

Dorothea laughed and fanned herself. "Don't worry about it, Professor. Just a little inside joke between me and Hubie."

"Indeed, Professor. There is no cause for concern." Hubert gave me a slim smile and then turned his attention back towards Dorothea. "As for your request… Well, I could do worse tonight. And I suppose that I _do_ owe you a favor for aiding Lady Edelgard with her attire tonight." He held out his right hand and said, "Come, Miss Arnault."

Dorothea glanced at the hand with a strange expression on her face. "A bit forward of you there, Hubie- Ah, I mean Lord Vestra. But I suppose I should have expected as much…" Dorothea shook her head and then took Hubert's hand.

Hubert nodded and then glanced at me. "Lady Edelgard will no doubt be out shortly. If you've any concerns, she will certainly address them. Now…" The dark mage turned around and said, "We will be off."

Dorothea walked beside Hubert, wrapped around his arm like a proper enamored lady, and then gave me a small wave as she left. "See you soon, Professor!"

I watched the two leave and then shook my head. Hubert and Dorothea walking together off to what was essentially a ball… I knew that the two had a support together, but it was still an odd sight to see. Well, better him than me though.

Through the nearby windows, I could see the sun slowly sinking below the horizon and the sky steadily growing a more violet hue.

It seemed like I still had time though.

The hallway was quiet, and it didn't seem like Delly would be finished anytime soon.

Since that was the case, I leaned against the wall and went over my current situation.

Ferdinand's birthday reception.

I remember them mentioning it after the mock battle, but I had been under the impression that it was just going to be a small gathering between the Black Eagles and maybe a few guests.

For it to be as big of a deal as Hubert and Dorothea was making it out to be…

Wouldn't it be almost the same as the ball later on in the year then?

While it was definitely smaller in scale considering that the other houses were out at the moment, the overall atmosphere seemed to be the same.

…No. This one seemed more serious. A proper political venue rather than the unwinding affair that took place near the end of the year.

Then there was the fact that it was taking place before the first mission of all things-

"Ah." I blinked, suddenly realizing the purpose of this reception.

A powerplay.

At the moment, we were under the protection of the Church of Seiros by virtue of being one of its houses, but that would only make us an enticing target when we stepped beyond its bounds.

While anything that happened here wouldn't deter the Agarthans from acting, they weren't the only forces to consider.

Minor nobles that didn't show up in the original story, third parties that were overcast by the main characters… This was a full world with vast political webs to consider. One where I was certain people would jump at any opportunity to advance themselves.

And with the Agarthans whispering from the shadows as well, it wouldn't take much for us to be beset by danger on all sides.

I glanced at my outfit and said, "So that's why I'm dressed like this, huh?"

It was an outfit that matched the color scheme of the Adrestrian Empire and also emphasized the appearance of the 'Ashen Demon'.

At the same time, it was a clear sign of allegiance. It hadn't been publicly announced yet that I was Rhea's grandson, at least I didn't think so, but when that came out, it would give Delly the backing she needed against any dissenters.

After all, the Adrestrian Empire was founded by the combined work of the first Emperor and Lady Seiros.

While I wasn't too much of a devotee to religion, I didn't underestimate the impact it held over the people.

The union between the bloodlines of Lady Seiros and Emperor Wilhelm Paul Hresvelg…

I was sure that the Agarthans would try to invalidate it somehow, but considering the influence that the Church of Seiros had over Fodlan, it would take a lot more effort.

That didn't even bring into account Dimitri's role as well if push came to shove, let alone Claude's actions in the background.

In short, this would be a point in our favor, forcing the other side to act coercively for the time being. Then-

"You seem deep in thought, my love. Care to share?" A familiar, light-hearted voice called out. Delly's.

I shook my head and glanced up. "Nothing much, just-" Whatever I was going to say next vanished when I saw her.

Simplicity and calm. That was the best way to describe Delly's appearance.

In contrast to the outfit that Dorothea and Hubert had picked out for me that sharpened my natural air, the one that Delly wore softened her.

Like Dorothea, Delly wore a sleeveless dress. It was crimson, as expected, paired by a black bodice embroidered with gold that hugged her chest and upper torso. The skirt of the dress stopped at her knees, revealing silky dark leggings and red heels. Finishing up the outfit were a pair of black gloves that went up to Delly's elbows.

I couldn't help but admire it. While I already knew how lovely she could be even while she was dressed in the academy uniform, seeing her in a proper elegant dress made me speechless.

But that wasn't the only change Delly had done for the night. Her snowy white hair had been styled into a side ponytail, pulled to her right side. Not only that, but her bangs had changed too, now a softer part that draped her hair across her forehead at a gentle slope rather than the harsh part splitting it cleanly in the middle at the top of her hairline.

It was a simple thing, but it did a lot for her atmosphere. If before Delly had the aura of a stern and unyielding student council president, now she was a calm and serene beauty awaiting her escort.

Even so, that wasn't the last change.

I didn't know whether it was magic or Dorothea's skill at makeup, but even the thin black lines from Delly's condition had vanished, leaving behind only pure and pristine white skin.

Seeing me staring so intently, Delly started to shift in place. "W-What is it? Does this look not suit me? Y-You see, I had always wished to wear something like this, but never found the occasion. Since we were going together, I thought that this might… Um…"

I cut her off and said, "You look beautiful, Delly."

"T-Truly?" She frowned and shook her head. "There's no need to flatter me. An honest opinion is fine. I know that I'm not quite as feminine as Dorothea or the others, so-"

"Are you kidding me?"

"E-Eh?"

I sighed and walked over, forcibly taking her left hand with my own before lacing our fingers together.

Delly blushed at the act but then put on a stern face. "T-That's a bit much! It's fine to take my hand, but to do it like this…"

"You need to take more pride in yourself as a girl, Delly. In my honest opinion, out of everyone in the world, you're the only who I would turn my head to look at."

Delly… No, Edelgard normally had a cold and austere aura about her. Even after the proposal, there was still a bit of that around her. It was inevitable, after all. As the one fated to become the Adrestrian Emperor and as one who steeled herself to walk a path paved with blood, it would be odd not to have such a demeanor.

A beautiful but lonely flower. A rose blooming in the distance with nothing around. That was how she seemed the first time I saw her. Stubbornly blooming with thorns to protect herself, but also yearning for companionship.

But it was different now. She was different now.

At this moment, at this time, Edelgard… Delly was beside me. Not as the future Adrestrian Emperor. Not as my house leader. No, she was just 'Delly'. An ordinary, kind, lonely and sometimes teasing young woman who had dressed up and waited for the one she loved.

Delly turned a deep red and then tugged her hand away. "…That's mean. Performing a sneak attack like that… Haven't you played with my heart enough?"

"Well, I gave you mine so…"

"I suppose that's true." Delly smiled and then grabbed my right arm, wrapping her own around it. "Shall we go then, my love?"

I nodded and started walking… only to realize that I didn't know where the celebration was being held.

Delly frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"…Hubert never told me where we were supposed to go."

Delly let out a long sigh. "Honestly. How did I fall for someone as hopeless as you again?"

"My dashing good looks?"

Delly frowned and then muttered, "I pray that our children don't inherit your sense of humor."

I blinked. "What was that?"

"Nothing. Now come. The reception should be taking place in the main hall. Of course, there is a set of procedures that must be followed before we enter. I'm sure that Hubert has informed you, but just in case…"

* * *

A/N: Still getting back into the swing of things. Thanks for reading and I hope the chapter was alright. I'll see you on Thursday!


	81. Downburst

The outside of the main hall in Garreg Mach Monastery was the same as it always was. Ancient stone walls, carefully maintained, as well as looming double doors gave it an austere and solemn appearance. Even so, when paired with the fading daylight, it seemed somehow different. Softer, and more romantic than stark.

Well, whatever the case, it definitely seemed like a proper venue for a noble gathering. But regarding that gathering… Was this the proper way to go about it?

Since we left the dormitory, Delly had played the role of a lovestruck maiden, sticking close to my left side, and leaning her head against my arm. At times, she fidgeted with my outfit, while at others she adjusted my hair, brushing away idle strands.

I didn't mind it. In fact, I'd be lying if I said that I didn't enjoy being fussed over like that. But considering what we were heading to…

"Are you worried?"

I blinked, suddenly met with Delly's clear violet eyes, and then gave a brief nod. "A little."

From the warnings by both Hubert and Dorothea, this wasn't an event to take lightly. Even so, Delly seemed to be doing just that.

I didn't know what to make of it, honestly.

Delly let go of my arm to adjust my collar and then said, "Don't be. While tonight is fairly important to our plans, the primary purpose of it still is to celebrate Ferdinand's birthday."

"True…"

Delly shrugged and grabbed my arm again before saying, "Just enjoy yourself tonight, my love. All of us are already aware of your lack of experience in this battlefield, so trust us to pick up your slack."

I frowned. "…That makes it sound like you're expecting me to mess up at some point."

"Of course not! But even the best of us can make mistakes." Delly shifted her gaze and then pointed towards the main hall's doors. "In any case, is that the gatekeeper?"

It definitely sounded like my beloved fiancée didn't expect things to go smoothly tonight. That was… fair, all things considered. Slightly annoying, but fair. So, to avoid digging myself in a hole, I decided to take the distraction that Delly threw out.

It had been hard to notice in the fading daylight while we approached, but as we drew near it was clear that there was indeed a person standing at the doors to the main hall.

And it was a familiar face as well, although a bit different than what I was used to.

A charming young man with windswept green hair and a bright smile. Tonight, he had traded out his armor and weapons for a crisp suit and a scroll.

Though different, there was no way I could mistake Aidem for anyone else.

It seemed the same was true for the cheerful gatekeeper as he waved his hand the moment we drew near. "Greetings, Professor!" He glanced over to Delly and said, "And to you as well, Lady Edelgard!" A bright smile crossed Aidem's face and he said, "I have to say, you two look perfect together!"

I couldn't help but scratch the back of my head at the sincere praise.

Delly laughed and then said, "Thank you, Gatekeeper. And I must say that you look sharp as well." She smiled and said, "It's a pleasant change to see you without your helmet for once."

Aidem scratched his cheek and said, "Well, as much as ladies love a man in uniform, that'd be a bit much for something like this." He grinned and said, "Thankfully, I still look great in a suit and it's perfect for my job here. Win-win, right?"

Delly shook her head, an amused smile on her face, and said, "You make a fair point."

I nodded along with Delly, but then realized what Aidem had just said. "Wait, your job?" I frowned and said, "Isn't your shift over by now?"

"That's true." Aidem nodded and said, "It is a bit late to be out on a weekend… But how could I turn down Sir _Ferdinand von Aegir_?"

I blinked, caught off guard at the sudden and impeccable impression of Ferdinand.

Delly covered her mouth and said, "I see. I suppose Ferdinand can be quite stubborn when he sets his mind on something."

"True enough." I nodded and said, "He _did_ keep challenging you to a duel."

Delly winced. "Ugh. Don't remind me."

"That bad?"

"…Let us just say that Ferdinand has a good heart, but he truly lacks any understanding of the fairer sex when it comes to the important matters."

I nodded. "Sounds about right…"

Aiden glanced at the two of us and then said, "I'm glad you two are getting along. I was a bit worried that the stress from everything would bother you two, but it's good that things are working out… Ah!" He shook his head and said, "I'm supposed to be on duty. That's enough small talk." He turned around towards the doors and, "Follow me Professor, Lady Edelgard."

"Hm?" I frowned and said, "Aren't you on guard duty?"

Aidem glanced back and smiled. "I'm glad you think so highly of my gatekeeping skills, Professor, but I _am_ qualified to act in other manners as well. This is one of them. Now…" He paused and then glanced at his scroll. "Should I introduce you as listed here? Or…" He glanced at Delly for a response.

She smiled and said, "Do as the invitation is addressed."

"Are you certain?" He frowned. "Not to be nosy or anything, but won't that-"

Delly waved her hand and said, "It's fine, Gatekeeper. Tonight is a night for revelations in any case."

Saying that, Delly glanced towards me, a sly smile on her face.

I frowned, but before I could say anything in response, Aidem nodded.

"Alright. Off we go!" With those words, he pushed open the doors and strode forwards into the main hall.

I stood there for a moment, waiting for my cue.

Delly tightened her grip on my arm and then looked up at me. "It's time, my love. Don't run away, alright?"

"Run away?" I scoffed. "As if I would run away from something like this."

The sounds of voices and silverware echoed from the open door. Through it, I could see long tables covered in white cloth, lined with heaping piles of food. Roast boars, poultry, baked desserts… and that was only the bit I could see from outside.

It was… a bit bigger than I thought it'd be, but I'd gone through worse before. It was just formal dining, right? Scholarship events, dances, and business meetings had prepared me for this. So there was definitely no way I would be running away from something like…

"Entering, Lord Byleth Eisner and Lady Edelgard Eisner!"

…This.

Aidem turned around and beckoned with that usual cheery smile.

Unfortunately, that wasn't quite enough to get rid of the impact of his words.

Lord Byleth Eisner and Lady Edelgard Eisner.

The former I could understand. While it was a bit odd to address me as a lord considering my professional role was just a professor, it was within the realm of belief so I brushed it off. But that second name… suddenly, her warning about not running away made sense.

Of course, considering her tight grip on my arm, that would have been an impossible feat to begin with.

So instead of hesitating, I stepped forward, guiding Delly alongside me.

The lively hall had suddenly grown quiet. A hush, as if someone had cast Silence, filled the air. At the same time, there was a tangible pressure in the hall.

With every footstep, I noticed more eyes on me and Edelgard. Some were hostile. Some were curious. Others… indeterminate.

But that made sense. Aidem's announcement was a figurative nuclear warhead into the noble crowd. Before, it had been rumor and hearsay that I proposed to Delly and she accepted. But having it announced like that… No, Delly so willfully taking up my family name instead of keeping Hresvelg…

I glanced at my beloved fiancée to see her thoughts on the matter.

Delly glanced back, a faint smile on her face, calm and collected.

Even so, I could tell that it was just a mask.

After all, if she were truly relaxed… why did she cling so tightly to my arm, as if afraid I would disappear?

Don't run away… It seemed to be just a bit of teasing from Delly, but I could see now that it was just her stubbornness acting up and preventing her from asking me to support her.

Aidem glanced back at us.

It seemed that we had taken a bit too long in following after him.

Delly noticed, but she stood still, gazing up at me and waiting on my move. At the same time, other gazes were present as well.

I had an urge to keep my head straight and move forward, ignoring them all. But I resisted it. Instead, I slowly swept my gaze across the hall.

Expectant gazes, evaluating gazes, malice veiled behind polite smiles.

Faced with that pressure, I felt strangely calm. No, not calm. Instead… I felt determined.

This pressure… it was nothing compared to what Delly had gone through. Even so, she quietly wrapped up her doubts and hesitations in that steely façade and continued forward.

I shifted my gaze back to my front. Once I did, I happened to meet Aidem's eyes.

Did he realize my intention? Either way, Aidem gave a brief nod walked back towards the entrance of the main hall. As he passed, he whispered, "Good luck, Professor."

I nodded and then strode forwards, putting power into each step and making my way through the crowd, carefully guiding Delly beside me.

In the far end of the hall, past the immediate crowd of people, Ferdinand stood at the head of the table, surrounded by the others.

I saw Caspar sandwiched by Petra and Bernadetta. Dorothea, chatting with Lysithea and Hubert. Linhardt, casually leaning against the wall and sleeping with his eyes open. And finally, there was Stella, my dear sister, glancing around the room with boredom.

As expected, all of them were dressed for the occasion. And, considering the few open seats nearby, it was clear where our destination was.

Thus, with firm steps and solid determination, I walked with Delly towards that table and…

"Now entering, her Grace, Lady Rhea, and Sir Jeralt Reus Eisner!"

* * *

A/N: Still getting back into the writing routine. Hope the chapter's enjoyable and I haven't gotten too rusty.

Thanks for reading and also leaving your thoughts! I always appreciate it!


	82. Thunderclap

Her Grace Lady Rhea and Sir Jeralt Reus Eisner?

Hearing those names called out, I couldn't help but stop and turn around.

While this was supposed to be a proper noble event, to have those two present as well…

I briefly glanced at Delly.

She didn't seem surprised. Instead, from the relaxed smile on her face, it seemed that she had been expecting them. No, that a burden had been lifted because they arrived.

I was definitely missing some key information here. However, this was neither the time or place to show myself unsettled so I relied on Byleth's trusty poker face and examined the latest entrants to this reception.

Unexpectedly, Rhea was wearing her proper attire. That elaborate golden headpiece adorned her light green hair, paired with the pristine white flowers she usually wore as accessories. Over her shoulders she wore a blue cloak with intricate golden weaving and a shimmering cape. Beneath that, there was an immaculate white dress that was just loose enough to modestly obscure her figure while she moved.

All of that with the expression on her face made it clear to me that she wasn't here for just Ferdinand's birthday.

Unlike the calmer and down-to-earth expressions that Rhea had shown recently, at the moment she carried a serene air and a smile that was far too aloof to be from an ordinary person. Inhuman almost.

It was a reminder to me that, for all the progress she had made recently with her wanting to make amends, Rhea was still Lady Seiros at her core and the same person that established the forefront religion across all of Fodlan. And then there was my father.

Sir Jeralt Reus Eisner. That was how he had been announced, and that was how he appeared.

I was used to seeing my dad in his combat gear and, barring that, in casual clothing. Putting it bluntly, the image of him in my head was a scraggly combat veteran that didn't get along with nobles.

That person was nowhere to be seen.

If I was caught off-guard by Rhea's appearance, I definitely had to hold back my shock on seeing my dad.

Instead of his usual orange tunic and armor, my dad had changed into a crisp black tuxedo. His beard was carefully trimmed and maintained, unlike its usual scruffy appearance, and he had even slicked his hair to the left side, similar to Caspar's timeskip appearance.

Intellectually, I knew that my dad had been a knight in the past. Both in my memories and in the game, that fact was clear. But faced with him now, that fact was driven home in reality.

My dad followed after Rhea a few steps behind and to her left, perfectly in sync with the Archbishop. While he kept a relaxed demeanor, he rested his left hand on the hilt of a silver sword sheathed at his left side, a clear warning towards anyone that might try something while he was on duty.

I tensed as they approached, unsure of what they intended. Clearly, someone had forgotten to pass me the memo on what was happening tonight, so I'd have to improvise. Thankfully, I'd been doing that this entire time, so it shouldn't be too difficult…

Rhea scanned the crowd as she walked inside the hall, maintaining that serene expression.

However, when her eyes fell upon Delly and I, that expression shifted into the one that I was used to seeing.

"My dear Byleth." She smiled and said, "How delightful to run across you so soon after arriving."

I didn't quite know how to respond to that, so I nodded and said, "It is indeed fortunate."

Rhea shifted her gaze towards Delly and said, "And the beloved princess as well. You look absolutely radiant tonight, Edelgard."

Delly smiled and said, "And you look as impressive as ever, Lady Rhea."

While the two women made small talk, my dad walked over to me. Giving me a once over, he nodded and said, "You clean up good, Kid. Then again, I do as well, so it must run in the family."

Again, I didn't quite know what to say. The others seemed to be running off a script that I didn't have, considering that they were completely ignoring the countless gazes still fixed upon us.

Did Rhea realize that I was lost, or did she finally remember that we were still in the middle of a crowded hall? Either way, she glanced towards me and said, "Now then, shall we head to our seats?"

A light chime echoed through the hall. Ferdinand stood up from his chair, placing down the crystal glass and fork he used to get everyone's attention and then smiled. "Everyone! I thank you for attending this modest celebration of mine." He paused, taking a look around the room and said, "I know that these are trying times for us all. Thus, to have so many of you present for this occasion… Truly, I am honored." With that, Ferdinand placed his right hand over his heart and bowed his head.

I took a sip from a glass of water to calm my nerves while Ferdinand continued with his opening speech.

As the central figure of this occasion, Ferdinand had a table all to himself and his VIPs. For the most part, those were just myself and the other officers in the Black Eagles house.

I could understand that. It was obvious that Ferdinand would invite his classmates and teacher to sit with him.

However, the two exceptions to that rule were… a bit too exceptional.

I hadn't noticed at the time, but there were thirteen seats laid out on one side of the table.

Ferdinand sat in the middle of the table as expected. To his left, there was Delly, also expected as Ferdinand was supposed to be the Emperor's future right-hand.

Then, on Delly's other side, her left, there was me. Again, as expected considering that she was my fiancée.

Dorothea was to my left, probably a result of her calling in a favor from Ferdinand.

Thankfully, she wasn't using the occasion to tease or flirt with me… yet.

Next to Dorothea was her escort, Hubert. The dark mage was as dour as ever, but his eyes were alert, discreetly observing the crowd.

I felt a bit relieved at that, knowing that there was someone keeping an eye out.

Then, rounding off that side of the table, were Linhardt and Lysithea.

Surprisingly, Linhardt was wide awake. Whether that had to do anything with the elegant white-haired beauty dressed in a soft lilac dress to his other side though, I had no idea.

To sum it up, the seating arrangement on Ferdinand's left was as expected. However, the other side…

I placed my glass down and glanced over to confirm the arrangement for the third time… And nothing had changed.

Rhea sat directly to Ferdinand's right.

While I didn't know much about seating arrangements and politics, that much I could understand.

It was the equivalent of having the pope attend your birthday party and taking a seat right next to you. No, I suppose it wasn't the 'equivalent' in this case, but the actual result.

I decided to ignore that fact for the moment and check over everyone else.

My dad was seated next to Rhea, as expected of her knightly escort for the affair. He was even going the extra mile to keep a wary eye out for signs of danger like a proper knight would.

Of course, I could see that it was just an act. Then again, that was only from knowing my dad's mannerisms and the fact that there was a plot afoot tonight.

My dear sister, who was surprisingly quiet tonight, sat next to my dad. It seemed that she had enjoyed the prospect of getting to show off her fashion skills since she had gone all out and crafted an elaborate blue dress with shimmering sapphire embroidery. It was modest, of course, considering her age, but that didn't do anything to hide the fact that she was a bewitching beauty in the works.

…Maybe that was why she was seated next to my dad. It wouldn't do to have any nobles get any ideas. Of course, it probably wouldn't be a problem if they did considering I could see that Stella was wearing the dagger I made for her and openly carrying it at her side.

Finally, finishing off that side of the table, there was Petra, Caspar, and Bernie. Like before, the poor blue-haired brawler was surrounded by those girls and at a complete loss on how to act.

Of course, I didn't blame him.

Petra had changed from her modest uniform into a form-fitting violet dress that accentuated her trained and developed body. But as if to not be outdone tonight, Bernie had cleaned up her hair, straightening the usual curly mess, and wore a similarly form-fitting violet dress.

…It seemed like that guy was undergoing a battle that I couldn't help in. Still, I had to give him some credit for managing to stay afloat somehow.

"…And most importantly, I wish to thank Lady Rhea for gracing this humble occasion with her presence."

I blinked, drawn out of my thoughts by Ferdinand's words.

Ferdinand turned towards Rhea and gave her a solemn bow. "I cannot say enough how important it is that you are here tonight, Lady Rhea."

Rhea waved her hand and said, "It's nothing much, Lord Aegir. In truth, I must thank you for holding this celebration. We could all use something to get our minds off of these dire times."

Ferdinand raised his head, a bright smile on his face. "Please, Lady Rhea. Lord Aegir is my father. At the moment, I am merely Ferdinand von Aegir. However, I thank you for the flattery."

I swirled my glass of water and frowned.

'Merely Ferdinand von Aegir'… While he said that, with the way that Rhea herself had stated him to be Lord Aegir and with the current events…

Were we laying out the power structure here? I had an inkling that was the plan going in, but to put it so bluntly… No. Was it bluntly?

It was subtle and casually dropped. Implicit. But then again, wasn't the culture of nobility all about innuendoes and implications?

After a bit of pondering, I realized I was spinning in circles so I decided to just check on the other guests attending this occasion.

The other guests were scattered throughout the main hall, seated at tables perpendicular to our own. As expected, the cadets of the Black Eagles house were present in the crowd. However, there were also quite a few unfamiliar faces.

If I were to do a rough count… I would say that there were about sixty or so people attending. A third of that were my students, but the others… I didn't know.

There were older gentleman with graying hair and frilly formal attire. Tunics with cravats and flared pants. There were some middle-aged woman with elaborate bodices and dresses that did their best to shore up the ravages of time. And of course there were those ambitious young men and women that were no doubt heirs to minor houses showing up to gauge the situation with their own eyes.

I resisted the urge to adjust my collar and continued looking through the crowd. As I did, I noticed something that caught my eye.

It was a small table off in the corner of the hall, tucked away and almost out of sight. There, two young men and women were seated. One was a familiar face. The self-proclaimed King of Grappling that I met at the marketplace was fidgeting in his seat, eyeing the piles of food.

I frowned when I recognized him. The guy seemed to just be a passerby… but he also knew about me when we met.

Since he was here… Did that mean he was important? Once was chance, but twice… and here of all places at that.

I carefully examined the others at the table when I realized that.

Next to that guy, there was a young woman with flowing crimson hair and a slightly darker complexion. Unlike the other women attending, she wore a suit and pants, both silver in color and embroidered with a wolf.

Despite that, what stuck out to me was her expression, an apathetic look that seemed bored and uncaring about everything going on.

Opposite of the young woman with crimson hair, there was another young woman. While the other two stuck out, this one seemed to be at home in this crowd of nobles.

Delicate facial features, short blonde hair with a blue ribbon used as a headband. She wore a lacy blouse with a silver skirt. with a silver color scheme.

But while her outfit and appearance meshed with the crowd, her expression didn't. Although her focus was on Ferdinand, as expected from the fact that he was the guest of honor and making the opening speech, she didn't look on at him with the respect or calm of an invited guest. Instead, there was a strange mix of hostility, anger, regret… and longing?

It was suspicious, so I made a mental note of that before shifting my gaze to the last person at the table.

An effeminate young man with light, lilac colored hair. Like myself, he seemed to be surveying the crowd, seated with his fingers laced together. By chance, he caught my gaze. When he did, he smiled and nodded his head.

It was casual gesture. Yet, for some reason I felt like there was more to it than that. A knowing look rather than mere courtesy. But before I could think about it more, the young man had already looked away.

"Now, for some closing thoughts before we dine."

I blinked, realizing that Ferdinand's speech was coming to a close.

Ferdinand smiled and said, "Though this was primarily meant as a belated celebration of my day of birth, I am honored to have the opportunity for it to serve as the occasion for two important announcements as well." He glanced to his side and said, "Lady Rhea. If you would?"

I frowned. Two important announcements…? Wait-

Rhea stood up and nodded. "Thank you, Ferdinand."

With that, Ferdinand took his seat, allowing Rhea the limelight.

A hush fell over the surroundings.

As it did, I had a sense of foreboding.

Rhea smiled and then said, "As Ferdinand has already said, thank all of you for coming. While it would have been ideal to include all of the students, unfortunately time is against us. Pressing matters have required them to go ahead with their missions."

A low murmur echoed. Curiosity, disdain, dissent.

"I am certain many of you have questions. In these times, what are the Knights of Seiros doing? And furthermore, with recent events, for what reason did I assign Professor Byleth to his post as the professor of the Black Eagles?" Rhea swept her gaze across the room and said, "Could it be that the Archbishop is going senile in her age? …I am sure that thought has crossed your mind."

Instantly, the murmur died down.

"I do not blame you." Rhea shook her head and said, "Indeed, such sentiments are inevitable with the current situation. It is undoubtedly unfathomable for an unknown mercenary to take the role of such an esteemed position. However, the reason is simple." A wide smile spread across Rhea's face. At the same time, a mischievous glint shone in her eyes.

Seeing that, the sense of foreboding I felt grew. It couldn't be that Rhea… No, that this celebration was to-

Rhea turned to look at me and said, "He is my grandson, the true flesh and blood of my own family."

I froze.

Rhea hadn't been the only one to look at me.

With those words, everyone at the table, no, everyone in the hall fixed their gaze on me.

But before the inevitable chaos could erupt, Rhea dropped another bombshell. "Furthermore… I would like to take this time to announce the pleasant news that my dear grandson and Miss Hresvelg have joined in holy matrimony with my blessing. That is all." With that said, Rhea sat down.

Before anyone had a chance to react, Ferdinand immediately took her place. He clapped and said, "Now, let the festivities begin! Dance, wine, delicacies… Feel free to indulge as much as you wish!"

It was a clear dismissal. The cue that everyone was free to get up and do what they wanted.

Thankfully, before anyone could pounce on me, Delly stood up and dragged me by my arm towards the dance area. "Come, my love. It wouldn't do for us to miss the first dance, would it?"

A teasing smile, a knowing look.

Seeing that on Delly's face, I let out a soft sigh and decided to just go with the flow.

What was the worst that could happen, right?

…Dammit. I just had to jinx it.

* * *

A/N: A bit more setup this chapter, but I hope it was still enjoyable. As always, thanks for reading and leaving your thoughts! Stay safe, and I'll see you Monday!


	83. Updraft

A/N: I recommend playing 'The Color of Sunrise' if you want the full impact.

* * *

Soft ambient music filled the hall. It was a complete contrast from the tense undercurrent from Rhea's announcement, calm and even a bit romantic.

While I wasn't a music expert, I had to admit that the current song was perfect for dancing.

A gentle and vaguely familiar ballad played on a piano with light chimes accompanying it.

Before I could ponder on why I recognized the music though, I was suddenly face-to-face with a beautiful snowy-haired woman.

Delly gave me an amused smile and then stepped forward, shifting my right arm to her waist, and lacing her right hand with my left. "Now normally the gentleman leads the fair maiden out to dance… but it seems that you're a bit too distracted for that, my love. I hope you don't mind me taking the lead?"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Instead, I adjusted my grip and pulled her closer, pressing our bodies together.

Delly's eyes widened and she said, "My. Bold tonight, are we?"

I took a step to the side and said, "I could say the same to you."

Delly easily matched my step and said, "Hm. What can I say? When it comes to you, I can't help but get a bit greedy."

I stepped forward and said, "I could see that, Mrs. Eisner."

Delly stepped back and nodded. "You took that better than I expected. I'll be honest, I thought you might break character when our names were called."

"Why would I? It's just the truth, isn't it, my beloved?"

Delly flushed a bit and then smiled. "My! You _are_ bold tonight. Perhaps I should have you as my escort to more of these sorts of occasions?"

"…And just what were the procedures for divorce again in Fodlan?"

Delly laughed and stepped back, twirling around my arm. When she came back close, she looked up at me and said, "A bit late to run away now, my love. Besides, need I remind you that our union has been blessed by the Archbishop herself? It would be quite the mess if you were to change your mind at this point."

"Darn." I hugged her close and said, "Guess I'm stuck with you then."

Delly leaned her head against my chest and said, "Indeed you are, Husband."

My mind froze. Thankfully, my body was more competent and I somehow managed to keep dancing with Delly.

Her light laughter echoed and she said, "Got you."

I sighed and said, "And you call me bold… We haven't even had a proper ceremony yet, you know?"

"That's just a formality and you know it."

"True."

The music continued to play, light piano notes drifting through the air. Glancing around, I noticed that others had joined us on the dance floor. Even so, there was still a wide gap around us, making it clear we still had the limelight.

Seeing that, I shifted my gaze back to Delly.

Her eyes were closed and a peaceful smile was on her face as she leaned her head against my chest. As if to make this moment last forever and to shut everything else out, she swayed with me in time to the music, content to let me lead.

Thankfully, it seemed that my body remembered how to dance better than I did, so all I had to do was let it do its job. But while it did, I couldn't help but notice it

Holding her tightly in my arms like this… Delly- No, Edelgard was a lot smaller than anticipated.

While we had been close to each other before and even shared a few kisses, I never noticed exactly how much taller I was than her.

In class, she radiated confidence and authority so the issue never came up.

Outside of that, in our interactions I always talked to her as an equal, not putting much thought into anything else. Because of that, in my head, we always saw eye-to-eye. Literally and figuratively.

But like this… She suddenly seemed small. And yet that small frame had quietly accepted the burden of the world placed upon her shoulders and carved her way forward, encasing her body and heart in steel.

Without thinking about it, I hugged Delly tighter.

Delly's eyes opened and she leaned back, staring at me with those enchanting violet orbs. "Is something wrong?"

"No. I'm just… glad, I guess.

What would have happened if she hadn't reached out so soon? No, what would have happened if the miracle of recalling her memories never occurred?

I didn't want to imagine it, but my heart told me the answer anyway.

This moment would never occur. 'Delly' would never exist.

And I… would have been simply 'Byleth'.

The fact that we could be like this, even with all the chaos surrounding it and the dangers lurking ahead…

I had to admit, I was grateful.

Delly gasped.

I frowned. "What?"

"You smiled."

My frown deepened and I said, "You act like you haven't seen me smile before."

"Well you have, but that expression…" Delly's eyes scanned my face, but after a while she let out a sigh. "Never mind. I suppose things like that are precious because they're so fleeting."

I spun Delly around and said, "Hey. This isn't the time or place to say those kinds of foreboding words.

Delly frowned and said, "I could say the same to you. While I appreciate the fact that you enjoy my company, I would feel much less anxious if you didn't suddenly have the expression of a man who fulfilled everything he wanted in life."

"That's…" I trailed off, considering her words.

A man who fulfilled everything he wanted in life, huh?

In a way, that was true. In this time, in this world, everything was going well. Of course there was the problem of the Agarthans and the unknown Flame Emperor running around, but there didn't seem to be any chance of a war to break out between the cast in the future.

Dimitri valued his beloved sister too much to turn his blade against her. Claude… Well, he was still a bit of a wildcard, but he wasn't likely to start anything if Edelgard didn't. And the Edelgard capable of sending Fodlan up in the flames of war wouldn't come to be in this world, not with the way Delly was now.

If I thought about it, this was Byleth's perfect life.

His father was alive. His students wouldn't fight. Rhea had calmed down and was a proper motherly, well grandmotherly, figure.

Even Sothis was here, incarnated as a proper human under the guise of my beloved younger sister, Stella.

It was a perfect life. The setup for a golden ending without any downsides.

"…I suppose you're right."

Delly's eyes widened. "My love- No. Byleth. Don't tell me that you're-"

"No, I'm not dying."

"Good." Delly frowned and said, "I would never forgive you if you did."

"And you shouldn't. I wouldn't forgive me either for leaving you like that."

Delly suddenly stumbled.

Thankfully, I had quick reflexes and managed to save it by transitioning to a steep lean.

When I pulled her back, Delly placed her head on my shoulder and muttered, "You're really something else, you know that, my love? Ambushing my heart when I least expect it…"

"Well." I smiled and said, "All's fair in love and war."

"Hmph." Delly pouted, but after a bit she relaxed and started humming along to the music.

When she did, I suddenly realized why it seemed familiar. "This song…"

"Ah." Delly seemed hesitant and said, "I thought you didn't mind, but does the music… bother you?"

"No. It's just…"

It was slower. Mellower and more upbeat. Rather than a song of lingering regrets, it was wistful and filled with hope.

Even so, I recognized it.

Delly flushed and averted her gaze. "…Perhaps I shouldn't have insisted on it. The arrangement was last minute and…" She started trailing off, muttering under her breath.

But I didn't notice. Instead, as the music swelled towards the peak, I found myself quietly humming along.

Delly froze and looked up at me, eyes wide in disbelief.

I stared back and quietly said, "It's your song, isn't it?"

Those violet orbs started to shake. "That's… But how? No one should… I never…"

"I…"

What could I say? That I heard it from a game? That some parts of it were found after the war in the future?

No, that I wasn't entirely Byleth and knew about it because I saw the world from an outsider's perspective?

The song continued to play as I gathered my thoughts.

Against my will, the lyrics matching the notes played in my head. And, as if the world itself was reprimanding me…

* * *

_Then you turn to me and I_

_Stop before I know_

_And the lie upon my lips_

_I let it go_

* * *

"My love?"

I shook my head and said, "I can't tell you."

Delly frowned. "And why is that?"

"It's… complicated."

Delly clearly wasn't satisfied by the answer.

Thankfully, I didn't have to elaborate.

The first song had come to an end. At the same time, the nosy nobles stepped forth. It was smooth, coordinated, and discreet.

Even so, I felt the same sort of danger from them as I did swordsmen with drawn blades.

Delly clucked her tongue and stepped back. She let go of my hand and gave me a wry smile. "It seems that this is where we part for now, my love."

I glanced at the strangers approaching with faux courtesy and then said, "I don't suppose we could break protocol and dance a bit more, could we?"

"Unfortunately, we can't." Delly's gaze shifted to the side and said, "Fortunately, our reinforcements have arrived."

"Hm? What are you-?"

A shadow swept out from the crowd before neatly stopping in front of Delly. Following that, a familiar brusque voice echoed. "I undoubtedly serve as a poor substitute for our dear professor, Lady Edelgard, but I don't suppose you would mind accompanying your poor servant for a while tonight, would you?"

Delly sighed and said, "Must you make everything so formal, Hubert?"

The dark mage held out his hand and said, "Forgive me. Years of habit, I'm afraid."

Delly shook her head, but then stepped forward and took his hand, forestalling the dozens of other males trying to vie for her attention.

However, while that dealt with the male portion of the advancing nobles, that still left the female portion.

In short, the ones after me.

The music started up again, a different and unfamiliar song this time. With it, Delly gave a slight wave farewell before discreetly making an exit through the crowd with Hubert.

Leaving me standing there alone.

Before I could react or even marvel at the speed and ease in which Delly made her escape, there was a tap on my shoulder.

* * *

A/N: A bit of fluff and romance this chapter as Ferdinand's birthday celebration continues. I'm thinking it won't be too much more though. I'd estimate at most... three? Chapters before we jump to the mission. But as always the story seems to have a mind of its own at times, so we'll see.

Thanks again for reading and leaving your thoughts! I always appreciate it and I'll do my best to keep writing!

Speaking of that, I think I'll continue this every other day updating for a while. I'd like to get back to the every day grind, but I'm still a bit out of practice.

I'll see you all again on Wednesday! Until then, take care!


	84. Downpour

Turning around, I saw an elegant young woman with lightly curled brown hair. She pinched the edges of her dress to curtsy and said, "Now I know I'm no princess but… May I have this dance, Professor?

Before anybody else had the bright idea of doing the same, I quickly held out my left hand to her.

Dorothea smiled and took it, lacing her right hand around it before pulling it close to her chest.

I stepped in with the movement, pulling her close as well before moving away from the others and then stepping in time to the music.

Dorothea giggled and said, "That eager to get away from the others, huh?"

I gently twirled her around and said, "Reinforcements don't help if we don't regroup as soon as possible. Speaking of which, I'm surprised it's you of all people, Dorothea."

The former songstress spun around and then moved back close before saying, "Well, I couldn't miss the opportunity to dance with our dashing Professor now, could I?"

"You're still on about that, are you?

Dorothea smiled and said, "Well now, if someone hadn't swept me off my feet when we met I wouldn't be like this."

"And that wouldn't have happened if a certain someone was more observant."

Dorothea laughed and then focused on dancing.

Seeing that, I was quiet as well and led her around the floor, moving with the music.

After a while, Dorothea hummed and said, "You're doing quite well, Professor. At this rate, I don't think anyone would ever believe you were just an ordinary mercenary before all of this."

"I could say the same to you, Miss Arnault." I dipped Dorothea into a lean before pulling her back and saying, "You're definitely more of a princess than most of the other 'Nobles' flocking around us right now."

Dorothea let out a relaxed smile and gently tapped my shoulder. "Careful now, Professor. Edie might get jealous at this rate."

"Maybe. But it'll make her value me even more when I place her first, won't it?"

"Ooh." Dorothea's smile turned sly and she said, "Seems like Edie and I need to have a chat after all of this. It's not nice to play with a girl's heart like that, you know?"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and said, "And it's no good to send a man blindly into a brand new battlefield either. Besides, if we're talking about playing with people's hearts here, Delly does that enough with my own."

"Mmhm." Dorothea gave a noncommittal response and then went back to swaying in time with the music.

Seeing that, I obliged and moved along with her.

After a few measures had played in the music, Dorothea looked up and said, "Professor?"

"Yes?

Dorothea stared at me for a few moments, strangely hesitant, and then said, "Am I… really not your type?"

I frowned. "What brought this on?"

"Well," Dorothea said. "I have to admit that I'm a bit envious of how close you and Edie are." She sighed and said, "It's a fairytale romance. The aloof princess having her cold heart melted by a handsome stranger who happens to be the long lost grandson of the Archbishop… I don't think any other play or opera out there could come close to it, you know?"

"I'm sure that you'll find someone like that soon, Dorothea."

Dorothea frowned. "It's Dorothea again, huh? Not Dory?"

I paused, realizing that she had a point. It had been a while since I called her by a nickname. "That's-"

Dorothea shook her head. "It's fine, Professor. It wouldn't do you any favors to go around calling unmarried women by pet names. I don't mind it."

While she said that, I could see that she still seemed a bit disappointed.

The air around us became a bit awkward after that.

It didn't help that I could see noblewomen barely concealing their irritation in the distance either.

We danced around the hall for a while before Dorothea said, "So… Are you planning on answering me?"

I blinked and said, "Which question?"

Dorothea rolled her eyes. "Am I your type or not? Come on, Professor. You've got to pay attention to a girl when they're talking to you."

"Mm…" I carefully stared at Dorothea and considered my words.

She was beautiful. There was no questioning how or why she was known as the rising star of the Mittelfrank Opera Company before joining the Officers Academy. That, paired with her light-hearted humor and outgoing nature made it hard to not like her. Not only that, but she was the type of person to completely devote herself to her lover if that person's love was genuine.

To say that such a woman wasn't my type would be a blatant lie. After all, what guy wouldn't want to have someone like that at their side. But…

"I'm kidding, Professor." Dorothea interjected before getting a response and said, "I just thought it'd be fun to-"

"I think a life with you at my side would be enjoyable…"

Dorothea froze, her carefree smile dropping in an instant. "P-Professor?"

"…But I can't allow it."

"Ah." Dorothea's face stiffened before her smile returned. "Of course."

"I'm sorry. But Delly… Edelgard will always be first in my heart."

That was it. No matter how nice it would be to spend my life with a girl like Dorothea, no matter if this were another world and it was possible to be with more than one person…

"It'd be better for you to look for another prince charming, Dory."

"Wow. Just… wow." Dorothea was quiet for a bit and said, "I thought I was used to rejections, but this one… kind of stings."

"Sorry."

Dorothea shook her head. "It's fine. I kind of figured this was how you'd respond after seeing that dance between you and Edie. I just… needed to hear it in person."

I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything.

The music was winding down. It wouldn't be long until the current song ended and the next began. Which meant another excuse for other people to step in.

I frowned, realizing the sticky situation I was in, and then turned towards Dorothea. "Say, would you care for a few drinks?"

She blinked, clearly not expecting the sudden question. But then she smiled and said, "Well aren't you a bad influence? Teaching your students to drown their sorrows away with alcohol… Are you sure that's fine with Lady Rhea being your grandmother?"

I quickly made my way through the crowd with Dorothea at my side and said, "Just do it moderation and you'll be fine. You don't want to end up like Professor Manuela, do you?"

Dorothea winced.

"Ah." I frowned and said, "Sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine, Professor… though I'll definitely be telling Professor Manuela about that when she gets back."

I sighed. "I suppose I deserve that."

We made our way back towards the table where we started. Sometime during the dancing, the table had been redecorated, now lined with shimmering crystal fountains of juice, towering silver platters of pastries, and a staggering red velvet carrot cake topped with whipped cream in the center.

While I had plenty of questions about how that had occurred, especially about the choice of cake for Ferdinand's birthday, I set them aside for the moment and walked Dorothea over to the drinks.

Dorothea let go of me once we were at the table and then walked over to grab a plate and fork before carving herself a giant slice out of the cake.

I raised an eyebrow at that.

Dorothea glanced back and said, "What?

I shook my head. "…Nothing."

Better cake than alcohol, at least.

I sighed and poured myself a glass of juice before glancing around.

As expected, there were still people eyeing me and Dorothea. However, it seemed that most had given up on trying to get anything out of me since the hall had returned to the bustling atmosphere it had at the beginning. Of course, the persistent ones were still making their way towards me. Among them, there was even a young woman with crimson hair fashioned in elaborate side buns and long bangs.

Wait. That person-

A deep sigh echoed from beside me. Dorothea had finished her cake and was pouring herself a tall glass of wine from a crimson bottle. When it was full, she downed it in one go and started to pour herself another.

While that red-haired woman bothered me, I couldn't just ignore Dorothea when she was like that.

Dorothea topped off her glass again and raised it to her lips.

Before she could drink it though, I grabbed her wrist.

Dorothea frowned. "What? Got a problem, Professor?"

"I think that's enough.

Dorothea narrowed her eyes for a moment and then let out a long sigh before setting the glass aside. "I guess you're right. You're going to have to take responsibility for making me like this though Professor."

"What?"

Dorothea stuck out her tongue and said, "Just kidding." She glanced at the glass and sighed. "I think this is enough for me tonight. I'm pretty tired from helping Edie out so I'll be turning in early." She gave a half-hearted wave and said, "See you tomorrow Professor."

"Wait, Dory-"

Before I could say anything, Dorothea had slipped away into the crowd of people, ducking out the side entrance of the hall.

I sighed and then glanced at the cup Dorothea left behind. I stared back at my cup of punch and then swapped the two, downing the alcoholic beverage.

Bitter, with a hint of sweetness from the cake that Dorothea had. And also completely worthless to wash away the tinge of guilt I had at turning her down

…Man, I was a terrible person, wasn't I?

"And here he is! The man of the hour!"

I blinked and turned around towards the speaker.

Ferdinand walked over, head held up high and a beaming smile on his face. That expression dimmed a bit though when he noticed that I was alone. "Hm? I could have sworn that Dorothea was here as well…"

"She was, but she said she was tired and turned in early."

"She did? But I-" Ferdinand sighed. "No. I suppose there is no helping it if she said so herself." He walked over beside me and poured himself a glass of wine from the bottle. Noticing the cup in my hand, he gestured towards me and said, "Would you care to share a drink with me, Professor?"

I handed him my glass and said, "It'd be rude not to after what you've done for me today, wouldn't it?"

Ferdinand poured out the wine and handed it back before saying, "What I have done? It is nothing special, Professor."

"Don't be humble. This party was supposed to be for you, the real man of the hour. Yet you've gone out of the way and done all this for us." I shook my head and said, "I don't know what to say, honestly."

Ferdinand laughed and said, "Like I said, it is nothing much… Ah, but this is no place to have a conversation." He scanned the room and then beckoned towards a small table away from the dance floor and refreshments. "Let us continue over there."

I nodded and followed after Ferdinand.

At the table, Ferdinand sat down and took a sip from his wine, lost in thought. But after a few moments, he glanced up and said, "This may seem a bit uncalled for, Professor… but do you have any concerns of the upcoming mission?"

I sat down as well and then frowned. "Concerns?"

Ferdinand nodded and swirled the wine around his glass. "It is not that I doubt your abilities, Professor, but I have heard mutterings of unrest. With our mission being to escort an individual to an unknown area within the Empire's territory… It would be prudent to be cautious."

My frown deepened and I glanced around the surroundings. "…I'm assuming this isn't just mere speculation if it's coming from you."

Ferdinand set his glass down and said, "Indeed. They are mere whispers, but after Lady Rhea's announcements regarding you and Edelgard, quite a few shadows have been cast into the day. And with my father's supposed disappearance with the rise of Lord Arundel…" He frowned and said, "I cannot help but feel that there are many who will aim at both yourself and Edelgard during our departure from monastery grounds."

I took a long drink from my glass. Afterwards, I said, "I can't say that's unwarranted, Ferdinand, but I can say that I've made preparations for it."

Jeritza, my father, and then myself.

I would have been worried about protecting everyone if it were just me, but between my dad's experience with escort duties, Jeritza's insane combat prowess, and my trump cards, I was at least 80% confident things would turn out well.

Ferdinand smiled. "Then I am relieved. Now, enough of that disheartening topic. The next discussion that I wished to have with you is-"

"Ohoho! So is this where the esteemed Ferdinand von Aegir has gone off to? Continuing to expand your connections, I see."

Ferdinand blinked, shock crossing his face before he stood up. Turning around, his eyes grew wide and he said, "Constance? Constance von Nuvelle. Is that truly you?"

Seeing Ferdinand react that way made me curious about who had interrupted our conversation, so I glanced over.

There was a blonde young woman standing there. She held a closed purple fan with white fur along its end against her chin and stared at Ferdinand with an unreadable expression.

I also recognized her as one of the suspicious group of four I saw earlier.

Ferdinand shook his head. "I thought you had perished! All these years-"

I cut him off and carefully observed the woman before saying, "Who's your friend, Ferdie?"

Ferdinand froze and then turned back to me, lowering his head. "Ah, forgive my rudeness, Professor. I should introduce you first." He gestured towards the blonde woman and said, "This is Constance von Nuvelle, a dear friend of mine. Together, we used to shine amidst the upper echelon of Enbarr, a bloom flourishing side by side, a pair of stars illuminating the-"

The blonde young woman, Constance, cut him off and said, "That was in the past, Ferdinand."

Ferdinand's smile dropped. "I… suppose that is true. House Nuvelle has since-"

Constance turned towards me and did a small curtsy. "Pardon the intrusion. I did not mean to interrupt your conversation, Sir…?"

Ferdinand blinked. "Surely you jest, Constance? To not be aware of this man of all people while attending this party-"

Constance bristled. "Well pardon me for having remained out of the upper echelon for so long, Ferdinand. Some of us no longer possess such luxury."

Ferdinand winced. "My apologies."

I had a sense the conversation wasn't going to lead anywhere at the rate the two were going, so I stood up and nodded my head. "Byleth Eisner. It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Nuvelle."

Constance's eyes lit up. "So it truly _is_ Sir Eisner. As expected from such an impressive demeanor."

"Mm." I gave a noncommittal response while I contemplated her.

Constance von Nuvelle… The name didn't ring any bells.

Neither in my memories, nor in Byleth's did such a person appear.

And yet, Ferdinand seemed well aware of her. Not only that, but the two were apparent childhood friends.

Was it a coincidence? Could it be that she was merely a third party that never crossed paths with us during the story? Or was it a ripple of my actions, tampering with both Fate and time?

Constance tucked her fan away at her side and then said, "If it does not inconvenience you, Sir Eisner, I have a proposition."

I placed my hand on my chin and said, "A proposition, you say?"

It was suspicious. Her, along with her other friends were an anomaly. Not only that, but there was something about her that seemed odd. A faint sensation that I could barely sense.

Even so, it wouldn't be good to show that suspicion on my face, so I waved my hand and said, "Go on."

"Wonderful!" Constance clapped her hands together and said, "I have heard that you are the latest professor of the Black Eagles house. While I do not doubt your abilities, indeed your name has spread far enough for even my humble self to hear, I do believe that you would find my assistance most useful."

"Oh? And why might that be?"

"Simple! That is-"

Ferdinand interjected and said, "Of course!" He turned to me and said, "Professor! Might I humbly request hiring Constance as an assistant? House Nuvelle is well known for their prowess in magic, both theoretical and practical."

Constance bristled and rounded on Ferdinand. "You!"

"W-What?"

The blonde young woman crossed her arms and said, "Have you truly changed so much, Ferdinand von Aegir? The boy who made waves with me at balls and embodied the finest in the nobility would never have interrupted so rudely!"

Ferdinand shook his head. "That was not my intention, Constance! I had merely hoped to offer some aid in your efforts to restore the Nuvelle name!"

"How trite." Constance narrowed her eyes and said, "I have no need of handouts. While I wish for House Nuvelle to be restored, it shall be by my own merit, and mine alone!"

Ferdinand frowned. "Constance-"

"Enough. If you had desired to aid me… you should have done it sooner. Now is too little too late."

"I-"

Constance pulled out her fan and snapped it open. "Save your breath."

Ferdinand flinched.

Constance turned back to me and let out a long sigh. "My apologies, Sir Eisner. It appears that I have soured the mood and showed you something unsightly."

I shook my head. "It's fine, Lady Nuvelle."

Constance gave a faint smile. "I hope that you will consider my proposition, but for now… I do believe I require some fresh air." She curtsied and then said, "I bid my leave, Sir Eisner." With that said, she turned around and walked away.

As her figure faded, I glanced over at Ferdinand.

He stood there, staring in the direction where Constance left, unmoving and stiff.

I grabbed Ferdinand's forgotten glass of wine and handed it to him. "Tough, Ferdie. Guess you don't have much luck with women, huh?"

Ferdinand glanced at me and sighed. "I suppose you are right, Professor." He took the glass of wine and took a deep drink before saying, "And thank you for this."

I shook my head. "I figured you might need it after that."

"Loathe as I am to admit it… The wine does help." Ferdinand shook his head and then sighed. "To think that all of the girls that I met in my childhood years would spurn me so…"

All, huh? Well, there was Delly, Dory, and now Constance… Yeah, that was 0-3 there.

Ferdinand finished off his glass. That done, he looked up at me and said, "Where did I go wrong, Professor?" He fiddled with the glass in his hand and said, "It is true that my aid comes far too late for Constance, but… Is it not better late than never?"

I grabbed my glass of wine and finished it off as well before saying, "I wouldn't worry about it too much, Ferdie. You've got a way of putting your foot in your mouth, that's for sure, but you're sincere and thoughtful."

Ferdinand shook his head and said, "Well, it appears that all the thoughtfulness in the world is not enough to resolve my issues. And sincerity… Well, you have seen how that turned out."

I paused.

He had a point. The thoughtfulness and sincerity didn't do much good when the other side didn't want to hear it.

"Hm… Well…" I thought about it some more and said, "I guess it's still just because you shine too bright."

Ferdinand blinked. "I… shine too bright?"

I nodded and said, "You've had the good fortune to never fall from grace. As a result, you make quite a few assumptions about how easy things are since you've never faced such difficulties yourself."

It was similar to how a genius could intuitively find the answer to a math problem that others would take pages of work to reach. Faced with such a situation, anyone would be annoyed. It was essentially throwing dirt onto their hard work.

"Of course, that isn't to say you haven't faced your own difficulties."

Going further with the example, it was how a genius would have to quietly bear the burden of realizing just how little they truly knew in the broad scheme of things. Whereas others could only see the problem before them, they could see the boundless unknown, gaping like an abyss in the distance.

"…It's just that they aren't the same types of problems."

Ferdinand was quiet. He stared at the glass in his hand, slowly spinning it around in thought. But after a while, he nodded and said, "I have never considered that. To shine too bright and not know folly… To know the peaks and not the valleys." Ferdinand shook his head. "To think that striving for brilliance in all aspects could result in such blindness." He lowered his hand and smiled. "It appears that I must thank you yet again for your guidance, Professor."

I shook my head. "It's nothing special. I'm sure you would have figured it out eventually."

Ferdinand placed his glass on the table and turned towards the direction Constance left. "I do not mean to be rude, Professor, but…"

I waved him off. "It's fine. I'll deal with the busy bodies somehow."

"Thank you. Then… I bid you farewell." With a brief nod, Ferdinand quickly made his way through the crowd in the direction Constance left.

I sat down at the table again and considered what to do next. Maybe I should go and check on the rest of my students? No, come to think about it I should go find Stella and make sure my dear sister didn't eviscerate anybody-

"Well, well. What do we have here?" An effeminate young man with light lilac hair slipped into the chair opposite me. "The esteemed Archbishop's grandson, all to his lonesome? Must be my lucky day."

* * *

A/N: And here we have the first of the Ashen Wolves making their debuts. Funnily enough, the original plans I had for the story lined up quite well with the DLC so those four misfits will probably be seeing quite a bit of screentime in the future. Also, if you played through the DLC, I recommend reread chapter 43 of this story when Byleth is bantering with Stella about how they made her body, you might find it pretty interesting as well as the developments coming up in the near future...

Thanks for reading as always! I'll keep doing my best and see you soon!

Next chapter will be out Friday! Until then, take care!


	85. Rain Check

I raised an eyebrow and said, "Can I help you?"

The effeminate young man's smile widened and he said, "You shouldn't offer something you can't provide, Professor. After all, you've got a lot of enemies aiming for your back at the moment, you know?"

I narrowed my eyes. "I see. Mind adding your name to that list then?"

The young man laughed and held up his hands. "Easy there. Just trying to break the ice a bit. Besides, I don't think it would look good for either of us to get into it right now, would it?" That said, the guy glanced over to the side.

I followed his gaze and saw that people were carefully watching us. Nobles… at least that was what I assumed. But then I noticed that they were subtly glancing at the guy in front of me, as if waiting for a cue.

"See? Now, mind calming down for a bit?" That said, he pulled out a flask and a pair of shot glasses from his shirt. "Here, I'll get us some drinks. Least I could do, right?" With a smile, he filled both cups before handing one to me.

I stared at him for a while and then took the cup with my left hand. At the same time, I scanned it with my mana to make sure nothing was off.

No response. Despite how suspicious it was, the liquid in the cup seemed to be just alcohol. A highly purified and distilled alcohol, but alcohol nonetheless.

That done, I ignored the glass for the moment and looked towards the uninvited guest sitting at my table. "…Who are you?"

"Mm… Well, I suppose I should at least give you my name. It's only fair after all." He smiled and said, "You can call me… Yuri."

"Yuri?"

The name didn't ring a bell. Even so… there was something off about the guy. No, something that was familiar even though he wasn't.

I carefully reexamined his features again.

An effeminate face. Light, lilac-colored hair. A bright smile that didn't reach the guy's eyes. And speaking of those eyes, they were a strange shade that could have been either the same color as his hair or a steely gray. Moreover, they were sharp, observant. Somewhat reminiscent of Claude, actually, in how they seemed to be calculating everything around him.

But that wasn't the reason why I thought he was familiar. No, it wasn't his mannerisms or his appearance, but rather…

Suddenly, a faint pulse. A resonance from the crest on my left shoulder, in a familiar mana pattern… The Crest of Aubin.

I froze.

Yuri smiled and leaned back in his chair, nursing his drink.

It seemed that he was just waiting for my reaction. No, that he was gathering information about me from my reaction.

The appearance and demeanor of someone who had everything under control… No doubt that was what he had in mind.

In that case… I leaned forward and smiled.

Yuri blinked, caught off guard at my sudden change in demeanor.

"Tell me, Yuri. Why do you possess the long lost Crest of Aubin?"

The relaxed smile on Yuri's face vanished. His calm demeanor broke for a brief moment, revealing caution and surprise. After, he narrowed his eyes. The smile was still there, but it turned sharp, that of a predator bearing its fangs. "My. You know quite a lot, Professor."

"And you're dangerous." I stared at him for a while, the air growing tense between us.

But before anything could happen, a serene voice called out. "Yuri?"

I glanced over, shifting my gaze for a moment.

Rhea walked towards the table. She glanced at me and nodded before focusing her attention on the guy across from me. "I thought you had other matters to tend to on this night. What brings you here?"

I glanced back towards Yuri and frowned.

Other matters…?

Did that guy know Rhea?

Yuri stood up and bowed his head towards Rhea. "My apologies, Archbishop. I was just curious about the newest addition to your family, you see? But I suppose you have a point. I should get back to that job of mine." He turned towards me and waved. "Until next time, Professor." With that said, he left, melding into the crowd. At the same time, the people observing us dispersed.

I frowned, watching the guy leave. That person… just who was he?

"My apologies, dear." Rhea sighed and said, "That child can be a bit of a handful. It is the legacy of a misspent youth, I'm afraid."

"Is that so?"

A legacy of a misspent youth, huh?

I had a feeling there was a lot more than just a misspent youth in the guy's history, especially with that crest.

"In any case," Rhea said. "Would you care to accompany me for a stroll?" She glanced at the surroundings and said, "It has become quite stuffy in here, has it not? Furthermore…" She stared at me, a serious expression on her face and said, "There is something we must discuss."

I slowly nodded and then stood up. "Lead the way."

* * *

The sun had fallen below the horizon and in its place, the moon was starting to rise. While the sky was still far from the starry expanse that came with the night, it was still fairly dark out. However, the gardens near the main hall were illuminated by torchlight, so it wasn't a problem.

Rhea let out a sigh as she sat down on a bench. "At last, some freedom." She stretched and said, "Even after all these years, I have never gotten used to such occasions."

I sat down beside her and nodded. "I don't think I'll ever get used to them either."

While the worst part of it had been dodged through the efforts of my students, I could still remember the pressure of the eyes staring at me and Delly… and then at strictly me when she left.

Rhea smiled and said, "It must run in the family then. I do believe Jeralt was never fond of dealing with nobility as well, the few times he accompanied me."

Small talk. Some idle chatter. It seemed that Rhea was trying to set the mood first. Testing the waters so to speak.

However…

"Worried about Yuri, I see."

I blinked and then glanced up at Rhea.

She shook her head and said, "You truly are like Jeralt. No, I suppose that habit of yours comes from your mother."

I frowned. "Habit? What habit?"

Rhea laughed. "Now that would be telling. But worry not, I can assure you that it is far from noticeable. I doubt many who did not know you would be able to tell that you were concerned."

My frown deepened. People kept mentioning that habit of mine… Just what exactly was it?

"In any case," Rhea said. "You can rest assured that Yuri is an ally. While admit that he might seem a bit… off-putting, know that I have the utmost faith in him."

"Kind of hard to believe that considering I've never seen the guy before."

Seteth had been shocked when I used the Crest of Aubin, and yet here was a person out of the blue who possessed it.

Paired with everything else going on, it was just far too suspicious. And then there was Claude's message… I stared at Rhea and said, "How can you be sure he's on our side?"

Rhea placed her hand on her chest and said, "Why, I'm hurt. Do you doubt my judgment so much, dear Byleth?"

"Considering everything I've gone through, it's in my nature to doubt others at this point."

"Ah." Rhea nodded. "I suppose that is understandable, what with Tomas's reveal and our hidden enemies… But trust me when I say that you have my word Yuri is an ally. Please."

Faced with her sincere words, I let out a sigh and said, "Fine. I'm trusting you and everyone else this once, but if things blow up I'm doing things my way."

It was dangerous. With all the variables at play, no one could know how things turned up in the end.

It was possible that I was risking things by leaving it to other people's hands, but trusting them to help… but at the same time, I couldn't be me without accepting that help.

"Thank you, my dear."

"Speaking of your help." I frowned and said, "Did you and Delly- I mean, did you and Edelgard rehearse all of that beforehand?"

"Ah, you mean our little play earlier?" Rhea laughed and said, "I must admit, it was quite the farfetched idea. I am fond of bold statements, but going so far is quite a lot, even for myself."

Considering that this was the same person that stabbed a guy multiple times after defeating him in single combat, that was saying a lot…

Rhea stared at me and said, "But how could I resist when my dear grandson's beloved fiancée came and asked so cutely?"

I blinked. "…Cutely?"

Rhea leaned back and said, "Quite. It was truly startling to see that aloof and steel-hearted princess so meekly request my aid in her plot. To think that your presence and support could change her so…" She shook her head and said, "No. I suppose that has always been the case." She turned to me and said, "You always did possess something extraordinary."

"…I suppose." I gave a careful response and stared at Rhea.

The topic about her coming from the future had never been brought up.

In fact, I still wasn't sure if she actually came from the future or if she simply received a 'revelation' about the future. Both were possible… but I wasn't sure if it was wise to address it just yet. Not only that, I still wasn't sure how to break the news about Sothis being Stella yet.

At this point, Rhea had to be aware of Stella's presence. While she hadn't reacted overtly to Stella just yet, it was possible that she was waiting to bring up the topic in private, like-

Oh. Like now.

Rhea smoothed her dress and said, "I hope you've been enjoying yourself, my dear." She glanced over and said, "I've heard from Seteth that you've been staying quite the long hours at the library. While I am glad you dote over your students so, it would be wise to take some time for yourself." She smiled and said, "After all, it will not be long before you have a family to call all your own."

I froze, struck by the implications of that statement.

Delly and I… We haven't done 'that' at all, right?

At the least, I didn't remember us doing 'that'. Then again, with the work schedule I kept and everything, was it possible… No, that couldn't be-

Perhaps realizing that she misspoke, Rhea flushed and said, "Pardon. That was a poor phrasing on my part. I was referring to the lovely princess… However with that reaction." She smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes, and said, "Could it be that I should be expecting little ones in the near future?"

I rolled my eyes and said, "You and dad both… Geez. It's one thing for my dad, but for the Archbishop as well… What would the people think if they knew you were probing like this?"

"Why would they think anything odd? After all, for the union of the both the Imperial bloodline and my own to give rise to the miracle of birth… Would that not be a most celebrated occasion?"

I blinked, caught off-guard at the sudden turnaround, and then frowned when I realized I didn't have a proper retort.

Rhea smoothed her dress again and said, "Forgive me, dear Byleth. You are one of the few that I can talk as truly myself, so pardon if I come off a bit brusque."

"It's fine. We're family after all, aren't we?"

A weird, strangely complicated, and convoluted family, but family we were.

…I tried not to think about the fact that Stella was both my sister and Rhea's mother at the moment.

Rhea smiled. "Yes… Family. We are indeed. And speaking of family…" She glanced around and said, "I'm afraid I don't see my dearest granddaughter anywhere around. Might you know where she's gone to?"

"Dearest granddaughter?" I blinked and said, "You really took to Edelgard quickly, huh?"

Rhea nodded. "Of course! Dear Edelgard will be part of the family soon- No, I suppose she is already part of the family." She shook her head and said, "In any case, I always did find Wilhelm to be sweet. Though many years have passed since then, it is no small pleasure to finally be able to call him family at last, if only in this distant manner." With that, her bright expression dimmed a bit.

Seeing that reminded me of just how long Rhea had been alive.

It was easy to forget considering how young she appeared, but Rhea had lived for countless centuries at this point. The number of people she must have lost to time since then…

"You must have been lonely."

Rhea looked up and sighed. "I would be lying if I said I was not… But there's no need to worry about that now, is there? After all, I finally have cute grandchildren to dote over."

I rubbed the back of my neck and said, "That's true. Though I think both Edelgard and I would appreciate a bit of space…"

Rhea nodded. "I understand. You two are grown adults, after all. However, I don't suppose my other granddaughter will mind, will she?"

I froze. "…Other granddaughter?"

Rhea smiled, although the expression didn't quite reach her eyes. "Indeed. The lovely little girl that sat beside dear Jeralt this evening. You know, the one with your hair, your eyes… and both the Crest of Seiros and the Crest of Flames within her body?"

"Um…" I stood up and quickly made some room between us, glancing around for an exit. "…I can explain?"

Rhea waved her hand. With that, mana flared and countless magical sigils filled the air.

It was only then that I realized where we were.

The gardens outside the main hall… were also near the entrance to the Holy Tomb. The same place that was now under even more security measures after the last incursion by foreign forces.

I was trapped.

While there wasn't anything harmful, mostly barrier and silence spells woven into the surrounding area, it was a clear message that I wasn't leaving any time soon.

Realizing that, I slowly turned my gaze back to Rhea.

She smiled, still sitting politely on the bench, and then said, "Now then… Might I have your explanation, my dear grandson?"

It was a simple action. Non-threatening almost. Even so… I had flashbacks to the past. Not of Byleth's memory, but of my tough, old, no-nonsense granny who wouldn't let me leave until I had properly explained myself out of the latest mess I had gotten myself into.

In short…

I was screwed.

* * *

A/N: And here we have the big confrontation about Stella! And a call back to the chapter name of Stella's official appearance as well. These last few chapter titles totally weren't just a convoluted means to set that up. Absolutely not. (P_P)

Is Yuri a good guy or a bad guy? What exactly did Claude mean by 'Beware of the Abyss'? I'm afraid only I know the answer to that for now. You'll have to wait a bit to find out, though I'm sure you'll be having fun guessing in the meanwhile.

Ah, sidenote. In this story, Byleth's mother is still indeed named 'Iris'. That will come up sometime later along with its implications. Just setting things straight so that people don't get confused when that part gets addressed, though I'll do my best to have it resolved in story at the time as well.

What else...? Mm. Nothing much comes to mind.

Probably a chapter or two left here before we jump forward in time a bit to the mission. After that, things should (hopefully) speed up. I've got things plotted out for how many chapters each month will take as well as their missions... but this story does tend to have its way with me and run off the rails I set, so we'll see, as always.

Thanks for reading! I'd appreciate you leaving your thoughts, but just the fact that people are reading is enough for me to keep going. After all, I'm about as curious as all of you are to see how this all unfolds!

Next chapter will probably be out Sunday, but I might push it to Monday. Until then, take care!

* * *

P.S. Thanks for reading and enjoying Justanotherguy56! I really appreciate you leaving your in-depth thoughts!


	86. Revelations

Rhea narrowed her eyes and then said, "How did you obtain the Chalice of Beginnings? No, more importantly, _when_ did you obtain it? Was it that first night when the intruder showed up in the monastery to attack Manuela?"

I blinked. "Chalice of Beginnings?"

The name didn't ring a bell.

I could guess at what it was used for or what it was similar to based on the name, but…

Rhea shook her head. "I will not reprimand you for using it." She sighed and said, "Indeed, the thought of reuniting with your long lost mother must have been too dear. However." She narrowed her eyes and said, "Such an artifact is much too dangerous to use so wantonly, even for such a noble cause."

I frowned and placed my hand on my chin to think.

The Chalice of Beginnings… from the way Rhea talked about it, the thing seemed to be similar to the Holy Grail. It also seemed to possess just as much power as that divine cup that was said to hold the blood of Christ.

But… I shook my head and said, "I really don't know what you're talking about, Rhea."

Rhea frowned as well. "Hm? You… do not seem to be lying."

"I'm not. In fact, I've never even heard of the Chalice of Beginnings until just now."

Rhea's frown deepened. "Impossible. Then how did you resurrect a version of Iris and obtain the Crest of Aubin? Surely you must have perfected the Rite of Rising in order to accomplish such a feat."

"Rite of Rising?" I lowered my hand and then carefully asked, "Is it anything like the Third True Magic? Heaven's Feel?"

"Third True Magic? Heaven's Feel?" Rhea shook her head. "I know not of what great magics you are referring to… But it appears that you truly were unaware of it." She muttered and then shifted her gaze, lost in thought.

I had my suspicions from the way she referred to it, but it seemed like the Moon wasn't involved here after all. Still, the Chalice of Beginnings and the Rite of Rising, huh?

Rhea looked back to me and then sighed. "Well, it appears that I have been mistaken. However, I do have an alternative question." She frowned and said, "Just who is that girl? She looks much too close to your mother to be a mere look-alike."

"That's… a complicated question to answer."

"Well." Rhea smiled and said, "We have time."

"…Won't people start looking if they see the protection spells activated over here?"

Rhea blinked. "_See_ the spells activated?"

…Crap.

"My." Rhea's smile widened. "It appears you have _quite_ the number of secrets, Byleth. You take after Jeralt quite a great deal, it seems."

Ouch. She stopped using dear. Not good. "Um… Trade secrets of being a mercenary?"

Rhea rolled her eyes. "I didn't accept that answer from Jeralt back then and I won't accept it from you now."

So Dad tried that too, huh? Figured.

A tense silence filled the air. Even so, Rhea seemed perfectly fine with waiting.

Seeing that, I sighed and said, "I can't tell you how I can see magic. Honestly, I'm not too sure how I can either."

That was a weird and convoluted confluence of coincidences resulting from a myriad of magical experiments.

I could probably reason it out… but it also probably wasn't a good idea to have that knowledge anywhere but in my head.

Rhea tilted her head in thought for a moment and then slowly nodded. "I suppose I can accept that answer. Your mother had possessed some strange abilities as well, so I suppose you must have received your own special talents from birth."

She did, huh? Well, considering the Priphea flower incident and Delly's ring, that made sense.

"However, that does not explain the girl." Rhea stared at me, carefully observing my face. "She is far too old to be your child, even if you spent your youth in wanton debauchery."

"Hey! What do you take me for?"

Rhea blinked and then said a single word. "Jeralt."

"Ah." That… made sense.

"In any case…" Rhea crossed her legs and said, "Still, she is far too similar in appearance to your departed mother and my beloved Iris. Furthermore her Crests… it is too peculiar a combination. Both the Crest of Seiros and the Crest of Flames? The first could be a coincidence, but the latter…" She turned to look at me and then gasped.

I blinked. "What?"

Rhea jumped to her feet. "I see… I see! The Crest of Flames from you, the Crest of Seiros from Edelgard… And the resemblance. It explains everything. And yet… for such events to come to pass…"

I shook my head. "Alright, you've seriously lost me now."

Rhea turned to look at me and said, "That girl. She is the child of both yourself and Edelgard from the future, is she not?"

I froze.

That… What?

Out of all explanations that I could have possibly imagined, _that_ was completely out of left field.

Rhea nodded. "The Goddess possessed the Authority of time. Your mother was capable of it to a small extent and you… Well, I suppose you have yet to awaken to such powers, but it is inevitable. Your daughter must have awakened to it as well… Yes. And with the Crest of Seiros to supplement it…"

I waved my hands. "H-Hold on! I think you've got the wrong idea here-"

"Do I?" Rhea stood up and said, "A great war between the three nations, five years hence. Resulting from it is the fall of the Kingdom, the Alliance, and the Empire at the hands of those who slither in the dark. Even I perish in the conflict, leaving only the children of yourself and your students to carry the torch. A grim future where the only solution is to return to the past and change the course of history despite risking the destruction of time itself… Is that not the only explanation for these unfolding events, dear Byleth?"

"…Don't tell me the next thing you're going to suggest is that a Fell Dragon is going to revive and doom us all?"

Rhea froze. "A Fell Dragon…?" Her eyes widened and then she placed her hand on her chin. "I see… Yes, that would indeed be a great peril. Failing to recreate Her power in a mortal vessel, the next step would be to recreate a divine vessel. But that should be impossible- No. I suppose they have advanced a great deal in developing Umbral Beasts. Creating a Fell Dragon… is not unfeasible."

"Alright! Cut!"

"Hm?" Rhea blinked.

I shook my head and said, "You're overthinking this, Rhea."

"Am I?"

I nodded. "It's nothing that convoluted… At least I hope it isn't."

Rhea's mutterings about potentially creating a Fell Dragon hit a bit too close too home there, especially considering Grima's backstory and the fact that the Agarthans assuredly had a not inconsiderable stock of Sothis's blood lying around somewhere.

I decided to shelf that worry for the moment before saying, "Stella is just someone that I brought back from the dead… kind of."

"Someone you brought back from the dead…? No, a failed attempt at such?" Rhea frowned and then slowly said, "Could it be that she is a homunculus born from your blood and the Crest Stone inside your body? But if that were so… How are you alive?"

I felt a headache starting.

See, this was the problem with people who knew too much. They keep coming up with too many valid explanations for things…

I sighed and said, "That's kind of right. But not completely right either. While it's true that I started out trying to make her body like a homunculus, the soul inhabiting it definitely isn't new."

"Not a new soul? But you said that it wasn't your mother as well… Then what-" Rhea's eyes widened. "Could it be? That girl is… my mother?"

"…Kind of?"

Rhea's eyes narrowed. "What is with these ambiguous responses, Byleth? Must I discipline you as I did Jeralt before I receive a straight answer?"

"H-Hey!" I held up my hands and took a step back. "What else can I say? She told me she was Sothis, and I know you're supposed to be Sothis's daughter, but she doesn't have any memories of being an adult or of you!"

Rhea froze.

Seeing her expression, I realized my slip up. "Ah-"

"She… does not remember? I… I see." Rhea blinked and then slowly sat back down on the bench. "That… I suppose it is inevitable."

I carefully stared at Rhea. "You… aren't going to do anything crazy, are you?" Just in case, I slowly focused my mana into my left arm, ready to respond in case she snapped.

"I'm hurt that you would consider that of me, Byleth." Rhea sighed. "But I suppose such concern is not unwarranted. Had it been before I received my revelation, I suppose I may indeed have overreacted to such news."

Seeing that she was still rational, I walked over and took a seat beside her. "That revelation… I'm assuming it's not the one you had as Seiros, is it?"

Rhea tensed and then she gave a faint smile. "I suppose it should not surprise me that you're aware of that fact. I did indeed wonder for a time if you truly knew or were simply guessing." She laughed. "After all, you were far more competent as a professor this time than the last."

"…So you know about it too, huh?"

Rhea folded her hands and placed it on her lap. "Indeed. The fact that the flames of war will soon return, that those who slither in the dark are responsible… that you cut down the one you loved with your own two hands in order to end that bloodshed. I remember it all. Or rather, should I say that I 'witnessed' it all?"

I frowned. "Witnessed?"

Rhea nodded. "That woman's sorrows, that woman's regrets. The one who was both myself and not myself. Her grief, her anger, her acceptance… It came to me suddenly in a long, long dream. And I thought of it as such as well. A premonition of what was to come instead of the truth. Of course." She smiled and said, "I now know it to be fact with your words."

I blinked and then covered my face. "…Maybe they're right. I should probably get more sleep."

Rhea laughed and said, "In any case." She leaned her head back and stared at the sky. "So my mother has returned in that form, has she? Truly, this must be karma for what I did to Iris."

I shifted in my seat and leaned over to look at her. "You keep mentioning that… Just what _did_ you do to my mother? Barring the whole… kind of rip out her heart thing."

Rhea coughed. "My. You certainly have no qualms bringing up such topics do you?"

"Well, it did happen, didn't it?"

"…I suppose I cannot deny that." Rhea muttered and went silent for a bit before saying, "As for your mother…"

"Yes…?"

Rhea sighed and said, "I let her die."

"…Huh?"

* * *

A/N: References abound in this chapter! All the ones regarding the high concept of the Moon are just flavor text though, so don't worry about any crossover elements showing up.

A bit shorter than I'd like this chapter, but that seemed like a good breaking point, so I left off there.

Thanks for reading! Not much else to say from me except that the next chapter will be out some time Tuesday. Til then, take care!


	87. Gazing at Sirius

It was a well-established fact that the Crest Stone from Byleth's mother was transplanted at her request. But here Rhea was saying that she let my mother die instead?

I stared at her and slowly said, "What do you mean you let my mother die?"

Rhea then lowered her head and laced her hands together, holding them against her lap. After that, she lowered her gaze and said, "Do you recall the discussion we had after the Holy Tomb was invaded?"

I blinked and tried to remember. "I... not really."

Too much had happened since then.

It was only a few weeks, but what with being a professor and everything else, I could hardly remember.

Rhea turned towards me with a faint smile and said, "You should stop working so hard, dear Byleth." After saying that, her smile faded. "But to refresh your memory, you had asked me about your mother and how she died."

"Ah." I remembered now. "Right... You said something about her dying because of your selfishness. Is that what you mean when you say you let my mother die?"

Rhea nodded. "Do you remember what else I said?"

I didn't respond, slowly recalling that conversation.

A child who grew up hearing wondrous things about her mother and striving to make her proud. That same child never achieving that goal to the very end, never being accepted. And then a question of whether the mother who discarded that child deserved redemption.

Initially, I thought that Rhea might have been talking about herself and Sothis, but-

"You need not answer." Rhea sighed and said, "That expression of yours is enough. Then... to properly answer your question from that time." Rhea paused, as if gathering her resolve, and then said, "Originally... the two of you should have lived."

I froze and slowly said, "That's... not true. Right? The Crest Stone kept my mother alive and when it was transplanted to me, she died. That's... what happened. Isn't it?"

"Perhaps that is true in the time that you experienced and that I witnessed, but 'your' mother... Iris, did not die that way."

_Ba-dump._ My heart throbbed, but I ignored it for the moment and said, "What are you talking about?"

Rhea shook her head and then looked up, staring at the starry sky. "I thought about it over and over, but now I realize... I was jealous."

"...Jealous? Of my mother?"

Rhea didn't respond right away. When she did, she said, "It was a miracle. I had made countless attempts, all ending in failure. As a result, I became... jaded. But then, one day, it was a success." A faint smile crossed her face and she said, "A beautiful, healthy baby girl. However..." That smile dimmed and she said, "However, she was not my mother."

I remained quiet and allowed Rhea to continue her story.

"I... I could not accept that fact. It was a success, and yet it was a failure. A life, born from my own flesh and blood. And yet, she was not the one that I wished to see. Thus, I cast the child away into the convent to be raised as a nun."

"You didn't want to raise her as your daughter?"

Rhea let out a bitter laugh. "I believed that such a life was fragile, a faint flame that would not last long before fading away. Even so, I could not bear to snuff out that tiny spark of life with my own hands, so I simply waited for it to be extinguished at time's hand instead. Only..."

"It wasn't."

"Indeed. It wasn't." Rhea let out a deep sigh and said, "That tiny spark turned into a strong flame. She made it past the first year and was granted a name by the nun I entrusted her to. 'Iris', a name that meant messenger of the gods in a foreign land." A wry smile crossed her face and she said, "Such an ironic name."

I didn't respond, still turning over the information in my head. It... didn't line up with what I remembered. At the same time, it did line up with what I knew.

Rhea continued. "She was a delightful child. Intelligent, kind, energetic... The perfect daughter. Not only that, but that nun I entrusted her to told me of how eager Iris was to meet me. Of how hard she worked to be worthy of being my daughter."

"But you couldn't accept her."

Rhea lowered her gaze and muttered, "No. I could not. How could I when her life forever meant losing the chance to meet my mother?"

It was an insane thought process. Sacrificing your child so that you could bring back your parent... I couldn't ever accept that course of action. Even so... I could understand it.

Losing her family at a young age, clinging to a faint hope to bring back her mother. Succeeding at regaining a family… but at the cost of forever leaving her mother behind.

_Ba-dump._

I placed my hand over my chest, feeling my heart race.

Rhea had always been stuck in the past, unable to take a step forward.

Even so... wasn't I the same? If I... if Byleth was able to move on, this moment, this timeline would never have come to be.

A sacrifice. Whether to accept the bright future ahead or to snuff it out and use it as the fuel to light another fire to cast another iron in the forge of fate.

Thinking of it like that... I could understand her.

_Ba-dump._

Flashes of images flickered through my mind.

A tired but brightly smiling Dorothea, holding a baby against her chest that looked a bit like her and a bit like myself.

An older Dimitri with an eyepatch standing before me at an altar, and then a beautiful woman in a wedding gown walking towards us both.

Claude, wearing regal but foreign attire offering a toast and promising to fight together and lead both Fodlan and Almyra to a bright future.

I clenched my hand over my heart and muttered, "I... can understand that, I guess."

Rhea tensed and then said, "I suppose you would." She turned towards me with a faint smile and said, "You must have given up a great deal of happiness for this one chance."

I didn't respond.

Rhea shook her head and continued with her story. "Iris... Your mother was brilliant. Gifted with magic, a swift mind and keen tongue. Gentle, and fond of flowers. Not only that, while she never admitted it, Iris possessed a great deal of foresight. No doubt the Goddess's… my mother's grace." Pain flashed in her eyes as well as self loathing. "I should have realized it then, my mother's intentions."

"That-"

"Do you know of your heart's condition?"

I blinked at the sudden change of topic.

Rhea shook her head. "No, you spoke of me ripping out your mother's heart, so you must."

"...Is this about how she gave up her life so that I could live?"

"Gave up her life... I see. So she must have just barely been a success in that time."

"Huh?"

Rhea turned to look at me and said, "Your mother did not give her life to save you. While you were indeed stillborn and your mother requested that I transplant the Crest Stone that granted her life in order to allow you to live... the process did not kill her."

I froze.

A wave of fatigue, pounding in my chest.

Before I noticed it, I was standing a few feet away from Rhea, staring at her with wide eyes. Struggling to contain the myriad emotions in my heart, I let out a single word. "What?"

Rhea looked at me, her face blank. As if a doctor reading out a clinical report. "Like I said, your mother, Iris, was special. While the Crest Stone was what gave her life, she grew to be able to live without it. Thus, when it was removed, her heart continued to beat."

My mind ground to a halt, the implications of Rhea's words slowly dawning on me.

Rhea's blank expression broke, self-loathing taking its place. She unlaced her hands and then slowly raised them, staring at her open palms. "I stared at her as I held her child in my arms. I realized that her child's lack of heartbeat meant that it could serve as the perfect vessel. And so… I fell into temptation."

"You let her die."

It was a horrible truth. A terrible realization. And with it came searing emotions.

I was furious. I was shocked. I... didn't know what to think.

Rhea turned back to look at me and nodded. "I did. Her blood… your mother's blood is on my hand, Byleth. And she must have known as well, what I intended. But…" Tears well in Rhea's eyes. "She did not blame me. No, even as she drew her last breath, she only had acceptance in her eyes. She should have been angry, she should have been furious and tried to strike me down! And yet… And yet…" All the energy left Rhea and she said, "And yet she did nothing. She simply accepted her fate and then peacefully left the mortal coil."

A moment of clarity. Suddenly, I understood why Rhea was so different. Why she always emphasized how much it meant that I trusted her and why she was so repentant.

She must have known. With the revelation of the future, the fact that Rhea's mother, that Sothis would not return was driven home.

In the game, that fact allowed Rhea to move on with her life and see Byleth as their own person.

But Rhea here...

I stared at the woman seated at the bench.

She wore the Archbishop attire, she was the legendary Saint Seiros... but at that moment she was nothing more than a broken and miserable woman.

It would have been a crippling guilt and unending regret.

Rhea hid it well, no doubt from her countless years acting as Archbishop. However, the knowledge would have been tearing her up inside.

To give up your child- No, to watch and allow your child to die before your eyes for the sake of your ambitions. A child whose only desire in life had been to gain your approval, who was even willing to accept that cruel fate that you gave her in the end.

Suddenly, her words from that time made sense.

_"The mother in that tale… does she deserve redemption? Does she deserve a second chance at the family she selfishly cast away?"_

Rhea let out a bitter laugh and wrapped her arms around herself. "My mother must have seen it all. No, she must have known. My love towards her… She sent Iris to my life so that I could experience the same. And yet, I was so obsessed that I never realized it. Not only that… but I ruined everything with my own two hands. No wonder mother does not remember me. She must be ashamed of what I have done… of the monster that I became. And now... You must think the same."

I quietly stared at her.

Letting my mother die was unforgiveable. A part of me… No, half of me would always hold that against her. Even if time spun back a million times, it would never result in a life where I lived a peaceful family life with my mom and dad.

Even so… she was genuinely remorseful. And she also tried to make amends, didn't she?

"...I wouldn't say that."

Rhea tensed and then turned to look at me. Her eyes were blank, glistening with tears but also confused.

Seeing her like that, I sighed. "I can't accept the decision you made that day. But at the same time… everyone deserves a second chance."

Well, maybe not everyone. After all, I don't think I could ever forgive Thales or Kronya for what they did. And I also didn't think they would ever feel a shred of remorse either way.

But Rhea did understand the extent of her actions and tried to repent. Furthermore…

It was possible to undo the harm she caused.

After all, if I could bring the primordial goddess responsible over Fodlan back to life, it shouldn't be that much more difficult to bring my mother back, right?

Was it because of her unsettled emotions? The spells guarding the surroundings faded.

With that, Rhea stood up and said, "You-"

Before she could continue, footsteps echoed.

Rhea quickly brushed her eyes and fixed her composure. In an instant, the pained and lost woman faded away, replaced by the serene Archbishop.

...At least, close enough.

I could still see the slight red tint of her eyes, the faint tears in her outfit where she had clenched her hands too hard. But in this darkness, it was negligible.

Seeing that, I calmed myself as well and turned to look at the new arrival.

"Forgive me, Your Grace." It was a man with long black hair wearing a black and red outfit. A fairly conspicuous outfit as well, looking like a practical version of a cardinal's attire, what with a small cloak thing and-

Wait, Cardinal?

Rhea frowned. "Aelfric? What brings you here tonight?"

Aelfric bowed and said, "I did not mean to intrude. However, I sensed the protections being activated around the Holy Tomb and decided to investigate lest something was amiss. Thankfully, that was not the case." After that, he turned to look at me.

I blinked and then said, "Your name is Aelfric?"

"Ah." He smiled and said, "Professor. I do believe this is the first time our paths have crossed, is it not? Of course, I have heard all about you from Her Grace, the archbishop." That said, he turned to look at Rhea.

She nodded and said, "That's right." She turned to me and said, "Byleth. This is Aelfric. He is…" She paused to think and said, "I suppose you can say that he is one that I have chosen to view as my own child, in a way."

Aelfric shook his head. "You praise me too much, Your Grace. I am but a mere priest at your disposal, and one that does no more than oversee the lost flock seeking sanctuary here at that."

I didn't say anything. Instead, I carefully observed Aelfric.

That guy… seemed really familiar. Like I should definitely know him from somewhere.

It nagged at me, something in the back of my mind.

"In any case," Rhea said. "I did not mean to alarm you, Aelfric." She frowned and said, "I hope my actions have not caused the other Cardinals cause for concern."

Aelfric shook his head. "No worries, Your Grace. I crossed paths with Yuri along the way and told him to inform the others that I would investigate. Still." He shifted his gaze to me and said, "I did not expect you to be here with the Professor, Your Grace." He paused and then muttered, "You truly do look like her."

I frowned. "What was that?"

Aelfric shook his head. "Merely the observations of a humble monk, Professor. Now." He smiled and said, "I am certain that there is much to catch up between you two. Worry not, I will ensure that you are undisturbed out here. Please, take your time." With a deep bow, the strange man walked off.

Rhea sighed and said, "The world truly seems to compound troubles. To think I spoke of your mother and then Aelfric appeared."

I turned to Rhea and said, "What do you mean? Did that guy know my mom?"

Rhea nodded. "Aelfric is an old friend of both your mother and father." She paused and said, "And I would have thought he would stay a while longer to talk, or at least get to know you better. He and Iris were near inseparable in the past... but it seems that he is as dutiful as ever."

I blinked. That guy... an old friend of my dad and my mom? And inseparable at that?

Rhea shook her head. With that, the mask of the Archbishop faded as well, revealing her deep fatigue. "In any case, I have kept you here long enough." A wry smile crossed her face and she said, "I suppose the saying of curiosity killing that cat is true. If I had known my questions would lead to such pain, perhaps..."

I remembered what we were talking about and then turned to face her. "Rhea-"

"It's fine, my dear." She gave a faint smile and said, "I did not come here tonight to seek forgiveness from you." She let out a sigh and muttered, "Perhaps my age is finally catching up with me. To think that I would sit here and give such a long-winded tale... Any longer and I might earn the ire of your beloved fiancée for keeping you out so long."

"I think Delly wouldn't mind. Beside, you-"

"I bid you good night, my dear grandson." Her eyes flitted behind me and then she spun around, quickly walking away. "Do not stay up too late now."

I started to go after her, but as if waiting for just that moment, someone appeared behind me and grabbed my arm.

Normally, I would have panicked. If it were anyone else, they would have been sent flying.

But there was no way I could mistake that presence and slight warmth.

I sighed and turned around. "I should have expected this would happen. But did you really have to wait this long to find me, Delly?"

My beloved fiancée smiled and dragged me to the bench. "You're a popular man, my love. And I didn't want to be rude. After all, tonight would have been quite troublesome without Lady Rhea's help." She tilted her head and said, "What were you two talking about anyway? It seemed... fairly important."

I sighed. "I'll tell you about it later. I... still need some time to sort it out for myself."

Delly nodded. "That's fair."

I smiled. "Thanks, Delly."

Delly smiled back. "Then... would you care to explain why I saw Dora run back to her room with tears in her eyes?"

* * *

A/N: Phew. Heavy chapter. But with this it should be enough setup for now. We'll be picking up the pace after this point and getting to the story proper. I've mapped out the rest of white clouds, at least the major plot points, so hopefully we can get the ball rolling so I can get to the timeskip and the major reveals that I wish I could mention but can't.

Thanks for reading as always! I'll see you Thursday!


	88. The Spirit Dais

A/N: For the full effect, play _The Spirit Dais_ from the OST until the scene break. I recommend the looped version that you can find by adding /watch?v=7yCEP3eN39o after youtube dot com or by looking up "fire emblem three houses the spirit dais extended" on YouTube.

Edit: Seems like I uploaded the wrong draft earlier. :Sweat: This should be the fixed one.

* * *

A dark chamber with a stone throne in the distance. Somehow, it was illuminated, a soft green radiance filling the air.

That allowed me to see her.

A woman laid on the floor in front of the throne. She was young, with long blue hair and soft eyes. A long green dress with gold highlights covered her body.

It was also stained brown with the blood pooling beneath her from the hole in her chest.

I tried to move towards her, but I couldn't. It was as if my whole body had turned to stone.

Footsteps echoed. The sharp clatter of heals against stone. With it came Rhea.

I turned towards her and tried to shout. Tried to tell her to help the woman on the ground. But again, I couldn't move.

She walked past me, heading towards the woman.

As she did, I saw that she was dressed as the Archbishop. She was also cradling a baby against her chest.

Rhea approached the woman and tilted her head, as if thinking about something in her head.

Click, clack. Click, clack.

With slow, deliberate steps, Rhea walked towards the woman bleeding out on the ground. And then Rhea was standing directly beside her.

'Help her already, dammit!'

Any longer and the woman would bleed out to death. Even so, Rhea waited. She waited, and then she finally nodded her head, making a decision.

I screamed. I screamed, but no sound emerged.

Rhea had raised her leg. The sharp heel of her right show slowly pressed against the woman's neck.

'Stop! STOP IT RHEA!'

Even so, the woman on the ground didn't move. Instead, she smiled and closed her eyes in acceptance. As she did, her hair shifted, the blue hair turning into light brown curls and her face changing into a familiar songstress.

_*Ba-dump.*_

"NO!"

Searing fury cut through my heart. With it, the spell over me shattered and I ran forward. A sword was in my right hand, the Sword of the Creator.

I didn't know why I had it, but I didn't care.

Rhea turned towards me, but the warm and repentant woman I knew wasn't there. Instead, it was a cold and alien gaze. Inhuman.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

She smiled and then slammed her foot down.

Before she could, I closed the gap and swung my sword.

Blood sprayed, and then Rhea's body fell to the floor, collapsed like a puppet with its strings severed.

_*Ba-dump.*_

My heart pounded in my chest and my body trembled at the realization of what I did. But before I could come to grips with my actions, a soft voice called out. Delly's.

"Is it... Is it over?"

I turned to look at her.

Somehow, the surroundings had changed. Instead of the throne room, we were on a battlefield.

Flames flickered amidst a ruined city. The dancing wisps of fires blended in with the crimson dawn stretching in the horizon.

And then, with that as her backdrop, stood Delly.

_No. It's not._

Her delicate face was sharper, honed by time among countless battlefields. At the same time, the soft gaze in her violet eyes had been tempered, forged into steely resolve. And as if to reflect that fact, she walked over donning crimson plate mail, carrying a towering bone axe caked in blood.

_*Ba-dump.*_

Pain in my chest.

I clutched my right hand over my heart, tensing.

_*Ba-dump.*_

Delly- No, the woman who looked like Delly dropped her axe and ran forward.

I took a step back. As I did, my vision suddenly expanded, letting me see the full breadth of the battlefield. And with that, I saw the casualties.

Ashe, the bright-eyed and cheery archer, his bow broken and gaze vacant, regret clear on his face.

Gilbert, the loyal knight of Seiros and Annie's father, crumpled along a ditch with his body torn asunder.

Annie, not far beside her riddled with arrows and reaching for her father.

Catherine, the Thunderbrand shattered and lying worthless beside her bloodied corpse.

Cyril, the young Almyran collapsed in a pool of blood.

The more I looked, the more familiar faces popped up.

Mercedes, Dedue, Dimitri.

Lysithea, Hilda, Claude.

The list went on and on.

"My teacher?" The woman who looked like Delly stepped forward, reaching out her hand. But as she did, specters of the one who died trailed after her, resentful spirits flickering like the flames burning Fhirdiad.

I shook my head. "This is a dream- No, a nightmare. I can't... I *won't* accept this."

_*BA-DUMP.*_

A heartbeat, as loud as a war drum struck beside my ear.

I tossed aside the sword in my right hand and then raised my left. With the act, mana surged, gathering at a spot just below my shoulder.

_*BA-DUMP.*_

Again, the heartbeat. Again, pain.

"My teacher!" The woman that looked like Delly reached out her hand.

"BREAK!"

Azure light flashed, growing in intensity until it blanketed the entire battlefield. And then...

* * *

I woke up.

My left hand was raised in the air, reaching towards the ceiling.

I blinked and then let out a long sigh. After that, I lowered my hand and got out of bed. "...Another nightmare?"

I glanced over at the calendar I had on my wall.

5/16. Friday, and also the day when we would be heading out for our first mission.

"Maybe that's why…" As I mulled over my dream, someone grumbled from the other side of my bed.

"Mm... Dumb brother. 'S too early. ...Back to bed already..."

Stella mumbled half-asleep, clutching a pillow to her chest and hogging the blankets.

I sighed.

The sky outside was still gray, but it wouldn't do me any good to go back to sleep.

I had promised to meet Anna ahead of time to go over last minute supplies and preparations. Sleeping now would definitely make me miss that meeting.

Stifling a yawn, I went about preparing a cup of coffee from my stash. While it was steeping, I changed out from my nightwear, a loose black shirt and matching shorts.

Since it was going to be an official meeting to sort out the paperwork and set out on our mission, I decided to change into my proper battle wear.

Black grieves, matching gauntlets. Dark gray tunic, leather utility belt. And finally, my signature overcoat... Well, Byleth's signature overcoat.

Since my tenure as professor, I was more fond of suits and dress-shirts, but it wouldn't do to be seen like that by Pallardo and his gang later.

As I was fastening my belt, my beloved sister rolled over in her sleep, burying herself in the blankets like a cat would.

I smiled at that and then grabbed my cup of coffee. When I did, I moved over to Stella and poked her cheek.

She grumbled and then rolled over in her sleep.

"Hey. I'm heading out now to get ready for the mission. Don't oversleep, alright?"

She grumbled again and pulled herself deeper into her blankets.

Seeing that, I shrugged. "Alright. But fair warning: I told the others to gather in front of this place at eight, so make sure to get up unless you want them to see you with bedhead."

Stella's response to that was to toss a pillow at me. Of course, since she was still half-asleep, the would-be projectile just plopped to the ground.

I shook my head and placed it back on the bed before walking out.

* * *

As always, the mornings in the monastery were quiet and empty. Still, it provided a great atmosphere for thinking, especially while on a stroll.

Sipping on my cup of coffee, I went over what had happened in the past two weeks.

Although Ferdinand's birthday celebration had been eventful, the time since wasn't. Teaching the students what I knew, refining their skills and knowledge. It was a routine and busy grind.

But that wasn't to say that nothing had changed since then.

After that event, Dorothea stopped looking me in the eye. She was still cheerful in class and acted as usual around the other students, but with me a pang of sorrow always crossed her eyes, even if she tried to hide it.

That... I still didn't know how to react to that. Or to her in general, especially with that flash of memories I had received while talking with Rhea.

To think that there was a time that I had gotten together with Dorothea... No. I suppose it wasn't a surprise. Even so, knowing it could happen and experiencing it was different.

I could still feel the happiness and content in that moment. Could still see the joy and expectation on her face.

Hopefully she didn't. If she did... if she knew... I didn't know what I would do.

Delly did. In fact, she insisted that I just take her in and be done with it all. But... I couldn't.

It wasn't a rational reason. After all, both girls involved would definitely be fine with it.

But I wasn't.

In this lifetime, I swore to stand by Delly's side. Hers and hers alone. Even if she said otherwise, the thought of sharing me with someone else was bound to hurt. But, being the magnanimous person that she was, she would allow it.

That was unacceptable to me. She shouldn't have to compromise about anything. No, she had compromised enough in her life.

But she refused to step down and even brought up her body's condition, as well as what would happen if we didn't manage to save her.

Needless to say, the conversation got heated afterwards, and not in a good way.

Then there was Rhea and her revelation about my mother.

At the time, and afterwards, I thought I could accept it.

Rationally, I could see where she was coming from. After all, she had been mentally unstable since her mother's death. Blaming someone because of that would be unfair, especially since they were in heavy remorse now that they were of sound mind.

But clearly my heart disagreed.

Thankfully, it wasn't to the level where I felt the urge to attack Rhea or anything in reality. But the fact that such thoughts existed in my subconscious was troubling.

"Greetings, Professor! Nothing to report!"

A bright and cheery voice interrupted my train of thoughts.

I blinked to see Aidem waving at me from beside the gate.

It seemed that I'd walked further than I expected while mulling over things. Not only that, but my cup of coffee had long run dry too.

"Morning Aidem."

"It's Gatekeeper right now, Professor."

"...Right. Sorry." I shook my head and said, "A lot of things on my mind."

"Oh! Lost in thoughts all alone today, I see." Aidem shook his head and said, "Don't mind me then, Professor. Take care!"

I gave him a small wave in return and then made my way towards the marketplace, letting my feet guide me while I kept mulling over my thoughts.

It was a problem. At the same time, there wasn't a simple solution.

For Dorothea, it was a matter of principle.

Even if I knew the happiness that could happen if I accepted her, it would mean harming Delly. Sure, she said she didn't mind, but neither of us could know for certain without crossing that bridge. And if it ended badly, at least one person would end up heartbroken.

I couldn't risk it.

Not only that, but Delly... I had a sense that she still didn't completely accept her current life. Not because she disliked it or anything, but because it was too close to her wishes. Too dreamlike. Coupled with her condition, I had a real fear that she might lose her will to live.

And that also explained her boldness. It... seemed almost like she was trying to arrange it so that there would be something left for me if she vanished.

I couldn't allow that.

As for Rhea... Well, that was even more tangled. Hopefully the searing anger I felt in my dreams would fade with time. If they didn't, I might have to resort to that plan I had a while back to deal with Stella reading my memories and thoughts.

I also had to make sure never to mention it to my dad.

He got the memo about the different routes and Rhea's role in my birth and my mother's death in the other timelines. As a result, he wasn't quite as suspicious about Rhea as he was in the games. But, if he knew the truth of how exactly my mother died in this one, of how his particular wife perished, I had a feeling he would react a lot more viscerally than I did.

That... was a conversation that I hoped wouldn't be coming up any time soon.

Not to mention all the other discrepancies and suspicious bits popping up here and there since the party. It was to the point where I didn't know what was dangerous, what was coincidence, and what was harmless.

Maybe that was a part of why I was getting nightmares too. All this stress on top of teaching full-time and then leading my students out to a battlefield where they had to be resolved to kill or be killed...

It almost made me wish I was as emotionless as Byleth was at the beginning of the game.

Almost.

But if that was the case, then I-

"Hey, Professor! Fancy meeting you here!"

I blinked and looked over to the speaker.

Anna waved and walked over to me, a bright smile on her face. "I was just on my way to see you, but it looks like you came all this way to meet me. Thanks! You're a real timesaver, you know?"

"It's only fair. Besides, there's the other stuff we need to go over too, right?"

"Yep! I've got great news about those other things too!" Anna paused and then glanced around. "But we probably shouldn't be talking about that out here."

I followed her gaze.

It looked like we were in the middle of the crossroads. There didn't seem to be anyone around, but it was still out in the open.

Anna turned towards the marketplace and said, "Wanna head back to my place? I've got some new foreign coffee in stock! My sisters swear by it. I think it's something called French vanilla? Whatever French is... Oh, and I've got some fresh donuts too!"

I paused and then said, "Free of charge?"

Anna rolled her eyes. "What do you take me for, Professor? I'm not like my crazy cousin that goes around rob- Um, _repossessing_ sacred relics in foreign lands. It's complimentary, of course."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Good. Lead the way then, business partner of mine."

Anna blinked. "Wow. They're really working you like a horse over there at the academy aren't they? Good thing I opted out of leadership roles, unlike some of my other cousins..."

* * *

A/N:As we can see, Byleth, emotions aren't so simple to set aside.

I think I'll be following a similar setup to the game from this point in terms of pacing. At least for this mission, I'll try to have one chapter covering the events before it, a few covering the actual mission, and then one follow up where the reporting happens. After will be a chapter per weekend in-game until the end of the month where things repeat.

I'll try that out for a bit and see how it goes. If it works, we should hit the time skip before the new year... I hope. :sweat:

As always, thanks for reading!

P.S. Yes, that certain girl with crimson hair and side buns in the main hall will get addressed at some point. And no it's not as obvious as you think it might be... although if you know the history of why House Nuvelle fell and played Balthus's paralogue, you might find a clue of how and why she's there.


	89. Mission Start

After discussing last minute supplies and arrangements with Anna, I headed back to my room.

Anna would be meeting us at the gates, but I wanted to check in with everyone before then.

As I rounded the corner to my room, I adjusted the new sword I had hanging on my left side.

Blacksmith finally finished crafting it and handed it over before I left Anna and headed back. She gave a brief explanation of it, but I was hoping that I didn't have to use its other facets too much.

Rounding the corner, I saw that everyone had gathered like I told them to.

Linhardt stifled a yawn, dressed in his usual uniform and carrying a heavy tome under his right arm. Lysithea stood next to him, carrying a tome as well. However, unlike Linhardt she was wide awake, fidgeting a bit with her uniform's buttons.

Ferdinand leaned against the wall to the dorms, a hand on his chin and lost in thought. Unlike the mages, he came well equipped. A sword strapped to his side, an axe to his back, a spear in his arms and then crimson plate mail to top it all off. Like that, he looked like a handsome brooding knight, considering how to slay a dragon.

Then, in stark contrast to him was Hubert. If Ferdinand was a fairytale knight pondering how to slay the dragon, Hubert was the evil chancellor plotting to get rid of the hero when he returned. Wearing a crisp black suit, the dark mage was ignoring everyone else and writing in a small leather-bound notebook with a pencil. Likely sketching out events and contingency plans for the near future.

Shifting my gaze, I saw Caspar standing in the middle of the path.

Like Ferdinand, he was wearing some armor. However, unlike Ferdinand he was only wearing the breast plate and some grieves. A pair of iron gauntlets were strapped to his right side and, like it had been ever since Ferdinand's birthday, he was flanked on either side by Bernie and Petra.

It seemed like he still hadn't sorted out that issue. I'd counsel him... except I hadn't quite resolved my own.

Shifting my gaze, I saw Delly and Dorothea huddled together off to the side together, whispering about something.

I didn't know what Delly was plotting, but it seemed serious from the looks on their faces.

Deciding it was better to leave that be for the moment, I looked over the rest of the group.

My dear sister seemed to have taken my warning to heart. Although clearly tired from being woken up so abruptly this morning, she was up and dressed for the mission. Light silver chainmail, the dagger I had enchanted with the Crest of Aubin, and a proper sword strapped to her right side. Her long blue hair had even been neatly tied up in a ponytail to stay out of her way when fighting.

That covered the students. What was left were the two guests, my insurance policy in case this mission went south.

My dad was leaning against a silver spear off to the side. He had a sword strapped to his waist, but instead of the usual bright orange tunic, he had changed into proper armor, a silver plate mail set with the Crest of Seiros emblazoned across its front.

Next to him was Jeritza. He wasn't in Death Knight attire, obviously, but that didn't mean he wasn't giving off an intimidating presence. Unlike my father, the only thing he had on him was a silver sword at his right side. No armor, no backup weapon, not even a vulnerary. He did wear his white half mask though to cover the upper part of his face.

Then again, from my spars with that guy, he didn't need them.

I walked over to the group and waved. "We missing anyone?"

My dad responded first. "This should be everyone, Kiddo. Unless you were expecting even more helpers?" He glanced over at Jeritza, as if questioning why he was there.

"What?" Jeritza blinked and said, "I was promised that I could have my fill of sweets after this mission."

"Sweets?" My dad glanced at me, confused.

"It's a long story. Anyway, since we're all here I'll give another rundown on what our mission is today." Once I had everyone's attention, I said, "Miss Anna found ruins near the Adrestrian Empire. It's still in the neutral ground occupied by Garreg Mach so we should be safe, but our job is to be there in case things go south with her business partners or other things pop up."

Jeritza smirked and rested his hand on his sword. "It has been quite some time since my sword has been quenched in blood... This will be a pleasant change in pace."

Delly immediately spun around and glared at Jeritza.

He shrugged.

My dad rolled his right shoulder and said, "I feel you there, pal. I get that patrolling is necessary to keep the kids safe, but I'd rather be out doing something. Still." He turned to me and said, "You should keep an eye out, Kid. I know you said it 'could' happen, but from my experience escort missions with merchants always end up in bloodshed and betrayal."

Stella sighed. "And could you not have kept that information to yourself, dear father of mine?"

My dad smiled and said, "Just making sure your older brother keeps it in mind." After that, his smile faded, turning to his usual stony expression. He looked to me and said, "On a more serious note, I've been assigned to help you out, but I'll be under your command, Kid. Think you've got it in you to boss a veteran like me around?"

"Of course."

"Hah! Confident, are we? Good. Keep it that way." With that said, my dad stepped back, letting me have the floor again.

Was it because everyone was nervous? After my dad finished talking, nobody else spoke up.

Seeing that, I decided to move on to the next of my announcements. "Remember what we planned. For the most part we'll be together, but if we do need to split then we'll be following the support system I mentioned last time. As for this mission, the partners are: Ferdinand and Dorothea. Linhardt and Caspar. Petra and Bernadetta. Stella and Edelgard. And finally, since we have an odd number, it'll be Hubert, Lysithea, and myself. Our guests will be operating on their own."

I glanced at Jeritza and my dad. "That fine with you?"

My dad shrugged. "No problems here, Boss."

Jeritza nodded. "That will suffice."

"Wait." Delly frowned and said, "Why am I not with you?"

Hubert nodded. "Indeed. For what reason am I to be with you instead of Lady Edelgard, Professor?"

Dorothea crossed her arms. "And me? With Ferdie?"

Petra raised her hand and said, "I am having objections to these pairings, Professor!"

"That's right!" Bernie chimed in and said, "Can't I be with someone else?"

"Yeah, Prof!" Caspar nodded and said, "Why do I gotta be stuck with Lin?"

Linhardt yawned and said, "Probably because nobody else can make sure you don't get yourself killed when charging in?"

"That's- Dang it. You've got a point there..."

"Well," Lysithea said. "I have no objections to the pairings."

Dorothea huffed. "That's because you get to be with the Professor, Lissy."

"Your point is?"

I rubbed my temple, trying to stave off my growing headache. To think they'd react this strongly to the pairings...

"My point is that you're trying to play the teacher's pet! Worried that your grades aren't high enough?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Dory."

She flinched and averted her gaze. "...Sorry, Professor."

I let out a deep sigh and said, "It would take up too much time to explain right now, but I'll just say that I picked partners to cover each other's weakness."

I'd also decided it before everything went down at Ferdinand's party too, so it was too late to change now.

"If you're still upset... Well, I could assign a ten page paper about it."

Everyone went quiet.

"Thought so." I sighed and said, "Now before we leave, remember that we're representing not only the Officers Academy, but Garreg Mach as a whole. Don't cause trouble unless I specifically tell you to."

Stella raised an eyebrow. "Something tells me that you have a plot afoot, dear brother of mine. Anything you wish to share?"

"Yes." I nodded and stared at Stella.

She stared back, her gaze expectant.

"...The dress shirt you're wearing beneath your chain mail is one button off on the left side."

"What?!" Stella glanced down and then groaned, flushing red in embarrassment. She immediately looked up and glared at me.

*Could you not have told me that in private?!*

You asked.

Stella huffed and turned her head to the side.

"Well, enough messing around." I turned around and said, "Come on guys. It's about time we meet with our client."

* * *

"I can't thank you guys enough for accepting my mission!" Anna let out a sigh of relief and said, "I was in a real pinch for a while!" She glanced over to my dad and said, "And especially thank you, Sir Jeralt! With the famous Blade Breaker coming along with us I doubt those other guys would try anything."

My dad laughed and said, "Thanks for the praise, Miss Anna, but I'm just another fighter at my son's disposal today." Saying that, he leaned over and slung his arm around my shoulder.

I sighed.

So this was what it felt like working in the same field as your parent... Wait, I'd been doing that my whole life already. No, this was just my dad trying to embarrass me on my first big job.

After arriving, Anna had already set up a caravan with wagons and horses ready to depart. Because of that, I split up my students and had them go on ahead to get some rest in the wagons. Meanwhile, me, my dad, and Jeritza together with Anna to wait for her 'business partner' in this expedition.

Jeritza nodded and said, "If you are concerned about your safety, do not be." He gestured towards me and said, "That man is as much a demon as I on the battlefield should he let it loose. Mere bandits and scavengers will be no match."

Anna sized Jeritza up and nodded. "I'll take your word for it, mysterious masked swordsman." She paused and said, "...You wouldn't happen to know of any Hero Kings, would you?"

Jeritza blinked. "What?"

"Oh it's nothing." Anna shook her head. "Just trying to make some jokes before that guy shows up."

I frowned. "Are you that nervous?"

Anna nodded. "Not to doubt you or anything, Professor... but I'm sticking out my neck for this trip. It'll ruin me if things go wrong, so I'm really hoping that it doesn't."

Before I could say anything in response, someone approached us. Glancing over, I saw a man with a brown medieval-style bowl cut and muttonchops.

He walked up beside Anna and said, "So these are your guards, Miss Anna? Impressive." He especially focused on my dad and said, "I didn't think that the church itself would sanction your expedition."

Anna laughed. "It was a bit difficult to rope them in, but I managed to do it in the end, Pallardo."

Pallardo smiled. "That's good. The more the merrier. After all, it would be bad if an incident occurred on the way to bring back the treasure."

My dad narrowed his eyes. "That a threat there?"

"Oh no." Pallardo shook his head and said, "Just stating facts. Attacks on merchant caravans have gone up recently, especially around the Adrestrian Emperor. That's why I've brought my own men, see?" He gestured behind him to a caravan of his own.

I frowned, carefully observing Pallardo. At first, I had my suspicions, but there was no doubting it now.

This was the guy who raided Garreg Mach in the future and tried to scamper off with treasure by throwing his men as decoys.

Did Jeritza sense the guy's true personality as well? He wrinkled his nose at Pallardo and deliberately palmed his sword's hilt.

Pallardo made a show of pulling out a pocket watch and said, "Well, looks like we should get going." He turned to Anna and said, "I'll let your group lead the way, Miss Anna. We'll handle anything coming up from the rear."

He made it seem like that was a noble act.

In truth, it was the position that was the easiest to cut their losses and flee.

Still, Pallardo either didn't care about his shameless behavior or didn't notice and walked off.

My dad frowned and then said, "...I'll keep an eye on the kids. You make sure to guard Miss Anna, alright?" With that said, he headed towards our caravan.

Jeritza stared after Pallardo for a moment and then glanced at me. "I will keep an eye on the rat. But be wary. I smell blood- No, I sense a death about Anna."

"W-What?" Anna's eyes widened.

Jeritza shook his head. "It will be fine so long as you are with the Ashen Demon. However... your life will be forfeit should you separate."

I sighed. "Stop scaring her, Jeritza."

Jeritza stared at Anna a while longer and then nodded. "As you say, Professor. I bid my leave." With that, he left as well, heading towards the rest of the caravan.

I turned back to Anna. "Sorry about that. He has a bad habit of making things a bit over dramatic."

"It's fine." Anna shook her head. "I was just surprised. Still, um. You don't suppose you could ride with me in my wagon, could you? Just in case?"

I nodded. "That's fine. I wanted to double check something with you anyway."

* * *

Once again, I was in Anna's secret shop. The difference this time was that I was seated near the front of the wagon while Anna was riding out front on a horse, leading the way.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay in the wagon, Anna?"

"And risk my wares getting damaged? I'd rather lose an arm than the rest of my nest egg!"

...Alright. Maybe I had underestimated the stress the mission was placing on the secret seller.

I decided to change the subject. "Right. I wanted to ask you something since we've got time."

"Fire away, Professor! I'm all ears!"

"Just how did you get roped into cooperating with that Pallardo guy?"

If there was anything I'd learned from interacting with Anna, it was that she was a scrupulous businesswoman. Especially when it came to profits. She wouldn't have let someone like that come along unless she had no choice.

"Argh, don't remind me." Anna shook her head. "I don't even know where he heard about it either. All I did was ask around for some help with an expedition, completely confidential, and then that guy showed up and started listing off detailed information about the expedition site. And before you say anything, I'm a thousand percent sure that I kept all of my documents locked away."

"I believe you. But then... that's weird."

I was starting to get a bad feeling about all of this. It was one thing if the guy was a random person, but to specifically be that person in the future who would wind up at Garreg Mach...

Was this Fate's corrective force pushing back? Or was this a plot?

I didn't know, and that was bothering me.

"Ah! I forgot to mention something, Professor."

"Hm? What is it?"

"Um... This is a bit awkward now since you've been announced as the Archbishop's grandson and all... but the ruins we're heading to might belong to the Church of Seiros."

"Huh?"

Anna glanced back and said, "I cross-referenced some notes that my cousins had around to check, and it looks like the place we're heading to is where something called the 'Rite of Rising' happened. I didn't find much else, but..."

"We might have to take care of the other guys, huh?"

If Anna was right, I definitely couldn't let Pallardo and his gang make off with anything. Not only that...

"Were you sure it was the Rite of Rising?"

"I'd bet my life fortune on it... Wait, I'm doing that right now. Darn it."

I placed my hand on my chin, thinking.

Rite of Rising... Rhea had mentioned that in our talk last time. She made it out to be a really big deal too.

If this was really the place where that Rite of Rising was performed in the past, it was extra important that we grabbed whatever notes, relics, or treasures that might be left behind. If we didn't, then I had no doubt that the Agarthans would swoop in after us and use that knowledge to make life even worse for us down the line.

But more importantly...

"That should help Delly, right?"

"Did you say something, Professor?"

I shook my head. "Just thinking to myself."

"Well if you've got any worries, I'm all ears. No, I'm all-in."

"Just... keep an eye out. Something's not right with that Pallardo guy."

"...You too, huh?" Anna muttered and said, "I've got a bad feeling about this deal." She was quiet for a bit and then said, "Say Professor. Just in case, you wouldn't mind being my patron for a while after this, would you? Having the Archbishop's grandson vouching for me would go a long ways."

"Don't worry Anna. If it gets to that, I'll keep my word. Besides, how else am I going to get some Dagdan steel if you run off?"

"Hey! I'm not that bad!"

"Says the person trying to repossess historical artifacts. Doesn't one of your sisters make a living recollecting sacred relics from their proper resting places and then selling them for profit?"

Anna huffed. "I'll have you know that it's my cousin who does that and not my sisters. We're all a group of upstanding merchants. As for that cousin you're mentioning... We try not to bring her up." She paused and said, "Besides, if I was like that, would I have told you about where we were going?"

"That's true. You aren't completely obsessed with profit."

If it was one of the other Annas though...

"Speaking about that, Professor." Anna looked back and said, "You... Have you met one of my sisters before?"

Flashbacks of the Anna merchant rescue missions in Awakening flickered in my mind. "...No. You all have quite the reputation though."

"Huh. Something tells me you're hiding something, Professor... But- Oh look! We're almost there!"

"Hm?"

Glancing out the wagon, I saw that we were on a vast plateau. That wasn't too exciting or out of the ordinary. But in the middle of that plateau there was a giant chasm, gaping like a deep abyss.

Staring at that, I narrowed my eyes and muttered, "So that's where the ruins are, huh?"

"Yep! Should be somewhere down in that chasm." Anna glanced back and said, "What? Are you scared of the dark?"

"Dark, huh?"

It might have seemed that way to her. But to me...

Four strands of golden light, stretching out from the depths of the chasm. Three were unfamiliar, but there was no mistaking one of them.

"...Seems like this is going to get a bit complicated."

* * *

A/N: Hm... Not too sure how I feel about this chapter, but I can't really see how else to rewrite it... Well, such is life. I hope it's still enjoyable regardless.

Next chapter we reach the first part of the story where Cindered Shadows and my initial plans conveniently lined up. As for what that entails, well.

The story's next chapter will be out on Monday. I'll be getting busy around the same time though, so I might have to either have less releases or shorter ones... Thoughts on which you'd prefer would be appreciated. 1000 words every other day? 2000 every three? Or a big chapter (7000ish) every weekend?

Either way, thanks for reading! I'll see you next time!


	90. Scorched by Flames

Brionac Plateau. That was the name of the place that Anna led us to. The site where the supposed Rite of Rising took place, as well as the ruins that we were to scope out.

Brionac… If I remembered right, that was the name of Lugh's spear. Not the actual name, since the proper mythology never gave it one. But it was a popular name for it in pop fiction… Well, Japanese pop fiction.

In mythology, those that went against the spear or the wielder of that spear never prevailed.

The fact that we were at a place named after such a weapon... Well, let's just say that it didn't do any to help alleviate the sense of foreboding I felt.

We had managed to find a portion of the chasm that leveled off enough to bring the wagons through. From there, we traveled along the darkened chasm towards the area beneath a bridge that ran across the top. From what Anna said, that was our final destination.

Despite its first appearance, the chasm wasn't quite as dark as it appeared to be from above. Instead, the light from the sun managed to filter through, bouncing off the glistening chasm walls. Water droplets and puddles dotted the area as we traversed, but for the most part it was stone and dirt.

From my spot on top of Anna's wagon, I glanced around to check how everyone was holding up.

Since Anna was the one both funding and leading this expedition, she was walking in the front of the group, leading her horse with her left hand while holding up a diagram to the sky in her right hand.

She kept frowning, lowering it to compare it to our surroundings. After doing a bit of muttering, she would hold it up again, as if waiting for something to happen.

I didn't know what, but it seemed like she had a plan, so I shifted my gaze elsewhere.

In the back, I could see Ferdinand leading a horse and wagon as well, with a few of my wayward students waiting in that wagon. Specifically, Dorothea, Delly, and Stella. It seemed that the girls had delegated the hard work to Ferdinand while huddling inside for girl talk.

At least, that was what it seemed like to me.

Delly caught my eye and then shook her head, glancing away.

I sighed and glanced at another wagon.

That one had Caspar leading the horse. He was a bit stiff, as if trying to do everything he could not to glance back.

Of course, I didn't blame him. Petra and Bernadetta were sitting in the wagon with Linhardt collapsed on the floor inside. From what I could see, the two looked like they were getting along, but I hadn't had the chance to talk with them all recently so I didn't know where everything stood.

Caspar glanced at me. His gaze was the same as a drowning man seeing a lifeboat.

Unfortunately, I still wasn't qualified to help the guy out, so I quickly averted my gaze.

The last wagon in our group, also the one near the rear, was led by my dad. Hubert and Lysithea were seated inside, quietly scribbling away into their respective books. Jeritza trailed behind the wagon, serving as a buffer between us and Pallardo's group.

And speaking of Pallardo's group...

The sketchy bandit merchant was walking around with a relaxed gait, leading his own horse and wagon. Behind him, there were four more wagons with mercenaries lined up inside. But those guys didn't matter. Even without going over the fact that they only had half-broken iron equipment, they were rowdy enough that they could only have been some cheap sell swords gathered for a quick buck.

But Pallardo was different.

He tried to keep on a relaxed and calm smile, but his eyes were sharp. Not only that, but while he had a steel sword sheathed at his side there was a faint buzz of mana coming off of him, as if he was trying to conceal his magical prowess.

It didn't work considering I could see it, but the fact that he was hiding it...

Was the guy even a magic user in the game? I vaguely remembered him having a decoy and warping away, but...

Pallardo met my gaze. A strange expression flickered on his face before resolving to a friendly smile.

I nodded back and then turned around to the front.

A long time had passed since we set out on this journey, enough to where the sun was slowly starting to sink in the horizon and the sky was changing from blue to red. But it seemed that we wouldn't be waiting much longer.

The stone bridge hanging over the chasm drew near.

At the same time, the four golden threads of mana I saw had strengthened, appearing almost tangible to my sight.

I frowned, tracing the source.

Directly beneath the bridge, the four threads suddenly vanished. But it wasn't as if they faded out. Instead, it was like something cut the threads, sticking them to an invisible box.

But more than that...

_Byleth._

Stella's voice echoed in my head.

I resisted the urge to glance back. Instead, I kept staring and waited for her to continue.

_Something here is strange. This place... it has an odd power about it._

So you feel it too, huh?

There was something in the air that was simultaneously familiar and foreign to me. Familiar in the sense that I had definitely experienced it before, or at least something like it. But it was foreign in that the power... didn't seem to be mana. It also wasn't dark magic or the divine power that Stella had left before she concealed it.

Anna finally came to a stop. "We're here."

I hopped off the wagon and landed beside her. "This is the place, huh?"

We had stopped just in front of that invisible box I saw.

Standing in front of it, I saw that it wasn't really a 'box' per say, but more a void in space. But that made it odder.

If I had to follow my eyes, nothing was out of the ordinary. But if I followed the sense of mana I had... this chasm was a lot bigger than it appeared.

There was ambient mana all over the place. That was something that I'd gotten used to since that day I made my experimental Crest. But here... it was empty. But that emptiness also seemed to stretch further than what the chasm showed.

Like how you could tell how big a dark room was based on the echo of the sounds you made, I could tell how big the area around was on how the mana that our group emitted spread out. And it spread out a lot... almost the size of the practice field we used for the mock battle.

But that didn't make any sense. How in the world could-

"Not to bother you, Miss Anna. But what's the hold up?"

I blinked, snapping back to focus.

Pallardo had walked up to us, scanning the area in front. "I don't see any ruins... Don't tell me you sent us on a wild goose hunt?"

"As if!" Anna shook her head and said, "Do you really think I'd risk my reputation and nest egg on a wild goose hunt?"

Pallardo held up his hands. "Hey now, I don't mean to accuse. But this definitely doesn't seem like ancient ruins to me."

"Hmph." Anna muttered under her breath and said, "And this is why I hate working with other people. Amateurs." Out loud, she smiled and said, "It's almost time. We just have to wait until the sun crosses the chasm. See?" She pointed up at the sky.

I glanced up.

Like Anna said, the sun was still visible through the gap. But it was almost gone, only a sliver of the orange disk peeking out across the edge.

Pallardo glanced at the sky as well and then shook his head. "So what? Is some ancient magic keeping the ruins hidden until then?"

Anna shrugged and turned to look at Pallardo. While a bright smile was on her face, her eyes were cold. "Wouldn't you know better, Mister Pallardo? After all, you were the one who wanted so badly to join in."

"Who, me?" Pallardo shook his head. "I just-"

A surge of mana.

Before anything could happen, I moved towards Anna and pushed her behind me.

"Wha-? Professor? What are you-?"

"Something's happening." I narrowed my eyes.

The sun vanished across the chasm. The moment it did, an incredible amount of mana spilled out.

Unfathomably deep. If mana was ordinarily like air, what I felt now was a bottomless ocean crashing down from above.

It was enough to where I wondered why the others couldn't feel it.

But that was only for a moment. As soon as I felt the surge, it vanished.

"...Was I mistaken?"

That wasn't me. From off to the side, Pallardo muttered to himself and stared into the space in front of us.

I started to talk, but the moment I did, I felt something tug on me.

My eyes widened and when I looked over, I saw the four golden threads wrapping around my arm, overlaying where my Crest patterns were burned in.

_Huh? This sensation... Wait, Byleth! Do not-_

A soft click.

As if something slid into place, the four golden threads vanished, pulling back from my arm. At the same time, Crest patterns floated in mid-air.

Pallardo's eyes widened and a smile crossed his face. "So it _is_ here."

Anna grinned. "Yes! I knew it wasn't a dud!"

As for me...

_Damn._

I recognized those Crests.

Aubin. Chevalier. Noa. Timotheos.

The four saints. The Rite of Rising. Rhea's questions.

Golden light bloomed, blinding everyone. When it cleared, the chasm had changed.

A vast cavern, dug out from the chasm walls. An altar in the center, with piles of golden treasures and coins stacked alongside it. And atop that pile, a seemingly ordinary golden cup.

A cup that continuously devoured mana from the surroundings like a black hole and emitted an unfathomable pressure.

Anna slowly stepped forward and whistled. "So this is the site of the Rite of Rising." She looked around and said, "Looks like it was pretty important."

I quickly followed and said, "That's the understatement of the century." At the same time, I walked past her and towards the golden cup.

Pallardo noticed and walked after me. "You seem to be in quite a rush, Professor. Don't tell me that you plan on having first dibs in this group venture?"

I glanced back and said, "And don't tell me you intend to stop the Archbishop's grandson from retrieving a relic of the church?"

"Of course not! But that's only if it 'is' a relic of the church. But for all we know these are relics of the distant past. Who knows if you're just throwing the name around to steal profits away from us?"

I came to a stop.

Pallardo did as well, staring at me with a bright smile on his face.

In the corner of my eyes, I could see my students getting out of the wagons. Not far behind them, Pallardo's men were doing the same.

"Well, Professor?" Pallardo tilted his head. "Are you planning on answering me?"

Anna jogged over.

Delly stood with the rest of my students, waiting for my cue.

My dad kept Pallardo's men in check.

Jeritza waited with a hand on his sword hilt, barely concealing his bloodlust.

I shifted my gaze back to Pallardo.

He smiled. "What? Can't answer?"

"I-"

The moment I said that word, I kicked off the ground and flew towards the cup, wind surging from mana I gathered around my feet.

"P-Professor? No, Pallardo!?" Anna's voice echoed from behind. "What are you two doing?!"

I ignored it. No, I didn't have the time to think about it. Because...

"That cup is mine!" Pallardo was running alongside me on equal grounds.

I drew more mana around my limbs. At the same time, I traced the Crest of Indech, increasing my reaction time and instincts. With that done, I kicked off the ground, rocketing forward.

There was a distance of over fifty meters to the center of the cavern, as well as the altar. But with my speed, it should only take a few seconds.

At least, that's what should have happened.

A flash of white light and crushing pressure. The Crest of Aubin.

My eyes widened and I quickly dispelled it. But by the time I did, Pallardo had blown past me.

"Dammit!" I tried to do the same to him- No, more. Quickly gaining ground, I stacked the Crest of Goneril, Cichol, and whatever else I could on top of the guy.

But he shrugged it off. No, the Crests slid off his back as if they were just water.

And then we arrived.

Pallardo held the tiny golden up in his right hand, raising it to the sky. At the same time, that fake smile he had on his face vanished, replaced by an apathetic expression.

I stopped a few meters away and drew my sword. Sparks flew as the orange, pitted blade resonated with the mana in my body. "Drop the cup."

"...We had been pondering on how to resolve the lock. Originally, that man was to bring us the four. But to think that your presence was enough." Pallardo nodded his head. "I have to thank you, Professor."

"I said. Drop. The cup."

Pallardo didn't respond. Instead, he drew his sword with his remaining hand, staring out behind me.

A moment later, I realized why.

White light flashed before resolving into magical glyphs. With them emerged a group of four.

"You idiot!" Stella came to my side and said, "When will you learn not to run ahead by yourself!"

Lysithea walked up beside her. "Indeed. You are quite powerful, Professor, but one cannot do everything alone."

"Hmph." Hubert walked to my left side, adjusting his gloves. "So it is a betrayal after all. I should have expected nothing less." He cracked a smile and said, "Our 'field trips' with you tend to end in quite disastrous situations, Professor."

Finally, Delly showed up. However, her gaze was on Pallardo. "I would have to agree with Hubert on this, my love. But more importantly... you heard him, did you not? I would suggest that you unhand that artifact, Pallardo."

"No. I do not think I will."

I frowned.

The guy was confident. He was also able to shrug off my Crests. And now it seemed that he knew how powerful that cup was.

In that case...

I charged.

Once more, I stacked the Crests on Pallardo. Once more, I gathered wind around my limbs to kick off the ground. And with that blinding speed, I swung my sword at Pallardo's arm.

Anna's voice echoed in the distance. "W-Wait, Professor!"

It was too late.

But then again, it was unneeded.

The best outcome of Pallardo's arm flying through the air along with the cup didn't happen.

Flames spewed from my sword, the glowing crimson edge cut against his limb... but all that emerged were sparks.

I pressed down on my sword, still straining against his limb. But it was like I was caught in mid-air. Wind blew and my body pushed forward, but the guy didn't budge. Seeing that, I narrowed my eyes and said, "It's you, isn't it? That guy from back then."

Pallardo tilted his head and then swept his arm out.

I flew back and stood a few paces away, carefully observing the guy.

"Hmph. It seems that holding this appearance is unnecessary. In that case..."

Pallardo distorted- No. It was more accurate to say he glitched out. As if he was a hologram, static rippled over his body. And when it faded...

Dark steel armor. A white mask with a crimson flame. A black cloak with red highlights and tassels.

I heard Delly gasp from behind me.

"That's... impossible. That armor and mask... There should only be one person with that."

The Flame Emperor laughed.

* * *

A/N: So. Turns out my classes started today. And I had to write up two case briefs and be ready to talk about said briefs. Before noon.

Yeah. Just had the chance to upload this now. Sorry for the wait.

I'm definitely switching over to a weekend update schedule. In return, I'll try to make the chapters a bit longer and fleshed out.

Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter. I hate to leave it on a cliffhanger, but I hope it's not too bad.

Thanks for reading! I'll see you all either Saturday or Sunday!


	91. Cindered Shadows

The Flame Emperor idly shifted the Chalice of Beginnings in his right hand, as if it was a wine glass. At the same time, although his expression was hidden behind that white mask, there was a clear sense that person was smirking behind it.

I narrowed my eyes, wracking my brain to sort out what was going on.

Obviously, things had gone south.

I knew that something was up with Pallardo and this mission, but to this extent... It seemed that Fate, time, or whatever was pushing back hard and fast.

The Flame Emperor was Pallardo the whole time we were here. And it seemed that he set up the entire situation to further his own ends- No, the Agarthan's ends.

But then that was strange.

Delly was clearly no longer the Flame Emperor. And from her reaction, she still had the armor lying around somewhere.

So then... who was the guy standing in front of us? And was the Flame Emperor even a 'guy' at all?

Hubert stepped in front of Delly and glared at the Flame Emperor. "You. Who are you? And did _they_ send you?"

Those were meaningless questions. That guy was clearly not going to answer them... but I could see what Hubert was doing.

Time. Since this was an unexpected variable, we needed time to sort things out.

And since my sharp student had taken on the role of distracting the guy, I took the chance to assess the situation.

Right now, the only students nearby were Delly, Hubert, Lysithea, and Stella. The rest were still near the entrance with my dad and Jeritza... as well as the mercenaries that 'Pallardo' had hired. Meanwhile, Anna was at the mid-point between the entrance and the altar.

That meant that we had the advantage of numbers at the moment... but I didn't know if it would stay that way. Not only that, but that cup set every instinct in my body off, telling me that it was dangerous. Not deadly, but the sort of danger that you would feel carrying around the switch for a nuclear bomb.

The Flame Emperor stared at Hubert for a few moments and then shook his head. "Time has become too distorted. Though it is amusing that events have diverged to such an extent... it is time to set history to the proper course."

I frowned, mulling over those words.

The proper course of history... those were ambiguous enough to be read either way. Did he come from a future from siding with one of the houses? Was he an Agarthan hiding under the mask? A random variable that was left unaccounted for?

Too many things were up in the air for me to process. But one thing was clear. That guy couldn't have that cup.

_Be wary, Byleth._

Stella?

My beloved sister was quiet for a few moments. But then her voice echoed again in my mind. _Like the last time we met, that man is negating my powers somehow. Divine Pulse... may not work. At the least, not while he is holding that cup._

So it comes down to that huh? Easier said than done though. I didn't know if there was a spy, or if I had underestimated the Agarthans that much, but they had managed to neutralize the trade secrets I had been relying on to this point.

The Flame Emperor shifted his gaze, that unsettling golden gaze settling on me. "I must give you credit, Professor. You are perhaps our greatest miscalculation. But this is where your interference ends."

"Yeah, keep talking." I gathered mana and poured it into my sword. With it, the sword's magical properties flared and crimson flames spewed forth. But this time, instead of sending them flying, I condensed them around the edge of the sword, causing it to hum and shine a pure white. "I'd like to see you try."

_Oh dearest brother of mine. I presume you have a plan?_

Depends. Does Lysithea know Luna?

_I... believe so?_

Then on my signal, get her to cast it along with your strongest white magic spell.

_Understood. But... be wary. Time itself seems distorted in this cavern._

Don't need to tell me twice. Seems like that's the case wherever this guy shows up.

The Flame Emperor shook his head. "Arrogant." At the same time, he tightened his grip around the Chalice of Beginnings. With that, distortions started to appear in the air, the raw magical power slowly twisting the space around him. "You may have diverted the stream, but the flow of time cannot be stopped. All will return as it should be... Even if I must do it myself."

I didn't bother responding with words. Instead, I kicked off against the ground in a gale of wind and swung my sword at his neck.

Unlike last time, the Flame Emperor properly parried the attack. The sword in his left hand lashed out, screeching against my blade.

Again, I pressed forward, making a show of trying to overpower him.

Sparks flew where the two swords met. But before long, static started to flicker on the Flame Emperor's sword. And when that static vanished, the true blade was revealed.

I blinked, quickly taking in the appearance of the blade.

A dark double-edged blade, one side serrated and the other straight. A curved guard, reminiscent of a bat. And in the center of that, two glowing stones.

The Sword of the Creator...? No. That was different. If I remembered right, that should be the replica that Nemesis had later. Except...

The Crest Stones in the replica Nemesis wielded were a pair of the lost Crests.

I didn't remember quite which ones they were, but I clearly recognized the two Crests in the sword that the Flame Emperor was wielding. But... those should have been impossible to have.

The one at the top was Seiros, the Crest that originated from Rhea. And the one below that... was the Crest of Flames.

But... No. This wasn't the time to think about how or why.

"Futile." The Flame Emperor's mechanical voice echoed and he said, "With this-"

Now!

Dark magic flared from behind. At the same time, a ring of golden lights began to form around the Flame Emperor.

To top it off, I unleashed the flames I had been restraining around my sword, letting the mana run wild.

The Flame Emperor took a step back. At the same time, Stella's voice echoed in my head again. _Dodge to your left!_

I immediately did as she told me to. The moment after, lightning struck, scorching the place I was standing a pitch black. But just because I disengaged didn't mean our attack was over.

Delly rushed in after me, wielding a silver axe.

Seeing that, I charged back in as well, attacking from the side.

Violet energy crackled around the Flame Emperor as the fire from my attack died down. From a casual glance, it seemed like the magic didn't have any effect.

But I didn't hesitate even if that was the case and slashed in tandem with Delly's attack.

Silver light flashed towards the Flame Emperor's neck. Following that, a crimson blade lashed out towards his torso. But before either could connect, the space around him rippled. "Again. Futile."

I felt a sense of impending danger and quickly sheathed my sword before dashing towards Delly.

She noticed my abrupt shift and her eyes widened. "What are-"

Without saying anything, I looped my right arm around her body and spun, throwing her back. At the same time, I raised my left arm towards the Flame Emperor.

A flash of white light and then pain.

I grimaced as the scent of charred flesh filled the air, but I focused on what had just occurred.

An immediate counterattack when we tried to hit him. Not only that, but a pure magical strike strong enough to not be dissipated even by my specialized Crest...

My eyes flicked towards the cup that guy was holding and I frowned. It seemed that there was a good reason why Rhea had been so worried about that thing getting in the wrong hands.

The Flame Emperor took a step forward.

Knowing that guy, it was probably to do another soapbox speech about how stupid we all were.

But that's good for us, isn't it, Stella?

My beloved sister didn't respond with words, but with an attack.

Did she realize that ordinary tactics weren't going to cut it? Instead of attacking with typical magic spells, I noticed a faint trace of her divine power mixed in with her mana before it gathered around the Flame Emperor.

"Hm?" The Flame Emperor paused. The moment he did, light condensed around him, swirling like a supernova. In the next moment, it erupted, sending out distortions in the space around him.

I dashed back, opening up some space and reuniting with Delly.

My lovely fiancée had managed to regain her bearings with the help of Hubert and was quietly observing. Perhaps realizing that force wasn't going to cut it, she had strapped her axe to her back and drawn a thin rapier instead.

Since there was a brief pause, I glanced at her and said, "Are you alright?"

"Is that all you have to say after tossing me aside, my love? How rude." Despite the harsh words, Delly had a faint smile on her face.

I rolled my eyes. "Guess you're fine if you can joke around like that."

At that time, the light around the Flame Emperor died down.

I focused, placing my hand on the hilt of my sword so that I could draw it at a moment's notice.

Black steel fragments fell to the ground. The Flame Emperor's armor had cracked, pieces here and there chipped off from Stella's attack. At the same time, a few strands of straight dark hair could be seen sticking out from the sides of the helmet.

Seeing that, I ran my mind through the possible culprits... but none seemed plausible.

The Flame Emperor ignored the state of his armor and turned to look at Stella. As he did, he muttered, "Another with Sothis's powers? But that should be... Hm."

An opening. It was a brief distraction, but the guy's guard was down and his armor was damaged. Seeing that, I activated the Crest of Indech and tried stacking my Crests on the Flame Emperor again to hold him in place. With those preparations, I charged once more. This time though, I aimed for a crack in the guy's gauntlet by his elbow.

But he was a step ahead. Dark magic flared and then he vanished, reappearing a few paces away.

"Tch." What the heck was this guy? Pulling off so many tricks... Was this how it felt when people fought against me?

_I hope you have a plan B, dear brother?_

Quiet! Thinking!

His vanishing trick seemed to take up a lot of mana.

I was certain he couldn't use that more than a dozen times without running dry. If he could... Well, he wouldn't be human and we'd have a whole slew of different problems.

The cup in his hands was a bottomless source of mana... but thankfully he didn't seem to either notice that or was unable to draw out its full effects.

Good for us, bad for him. However, it also seemed to have a counter effect, judging from that bolt of lightning. But it seemed like it could only attack a single person at a time, and only the last one. That, and Stella's attack apparently didn't count as one.

Either way, this was doable.

Jeritza and my dad had the other students covered, so we just had to get rid of this guy somehow and we'd be in the clear. Now, hopefully he was out of tricks to pull-

Crests bloomed around the Flame Emperor. Aubin, Chevalier, Noa, and Timotheos. At the same time, the Crest of Flames shone behind them, crackling with violet light.

Dammit.

_Were you not the one who warned me about jinxing events?! Why did you have to-_

Busy! Talk later!

The Flame Emperor raised his left arm, pointing his sword at me. With that, a ring of golden light began to emerge around me.

I recognized the spell. Though I hadn't used it, I brushed up enough on magic in the past week to prep for classes to be familiar with the entire list of common spells.

The one the Flame Emperor used definitely wasn't common. After all, if people could chuck around Aura willy-nilly then the mock battle definitely would have been more destructive.

But as high-leveled a white magic spell that one was... Compared to that bolt of pure mana the cup shot out, it was nothing.

"Professor!"

Seemed like Lysithea didn't catch the memo though. Still, I didn't have time to reassure her. Instead of wasting breath on meaningless words, I stepped forward again to close the gap.

Aura surged, light magic crashing down like a torrential downpour.

To match it, I focused on my artificial Crest and sent a pulse of mana to disrupt it.

A thin space formed in the downpour of golden light.

Within it, I advanced, holding my sword out just like how the Flame Emperor was pointing his at me.

That guy tilted his head. Though his face was hidden behind that mask, it was clear that he was confused.

I arrived in front of him. Stomping the ground, I thrust my sword towards his heart.

The Flame Emperor twisted his sword, drawing it back to parry.

But as he did that, I twisted my sword as well and slashed at the guy's mask.

He quickly leaned back, causing sparks to fly as the sword slash became a glancing blow. However, he didn't get off completely. The heated blade bit into the white metal and ripped off the bottom portion of the mask, revealing the face beneath.

I had hoped that it would give some clues to the person, but...

A slim face, a delicate chin that could have been male or female and lips that were the same.

Dammit.

The Flame Emperor warped back again, opening up the distance once more. When he did, spoke. Annoyingly, that filter effect was still on, distorting the guy's voice. "Enough playing around."

I raised my sword again. "I agree. Let's end-"

Suddenly, a giant pulse of mana swept throughout the cavern.

I glared at the Flame Emperor.

That guy... or girl, I still couldn't quite tell, smirked and said, "Did you think that you were the only one buying time?" After that, the Flame Emperor shifted his gaze, looking past me.

My eyes widened and I quickly turned around.

Anna had joined up with Delly and the others. Meanwhile, back near the entrance, the mercenaries that 'Pallardo' hired were taken care of, a small pile of bodies laying on the floor at Jeritza's feet. My dad was supervising the rest of the Black Eagles, directing them to move the wagons aside and prep for any other combat.

It was good that he did.

Violet light crackled around the cavern before dark magic flared. When it faded away, over a hundred masked men in black robes emerged. And most of them were congregated near the entrance.

Dammit. Of all the things-

A faint breeze near my back.

I spun on my heel and slashed with my sword.

The Flame Emperor stepped in, this time trying to overpower me with his sword. A faint smile appeared on his lips and that guy said, "Letting your mind wander is a sure way to get yourself killed, Professor."

I narrowed my eyes. "And so is running your-"

I cut off my words and dropped to the ground. The moment I did, I lashed out with my legs, sweeping the Flame Emperor.

Did that guy actually expect me to banter with him? Whatever the case, he was caught off guard and cleanly tipped over, crashing against the ground.

I flipped off the ground and then pulled my sword close, aiming it at the Flame Emperor's chest. At the same time, I relied on my trusty wind magic and used it to change my momentum, rocketing downwards.

Dark magic flared again and the Flame Emperor vanished.

Damned Warp Magic! Wind magic gathered around my limbs again and then corrected my posture, flipping me back to my feet. As I did, I glared at the Flame Emperor and said, "Can't you do anything other than run away?"

"Only the foolhardy meet danger head on." Saying that, the Flame Emperor raised his sword.

"Yeah. And only idiots run their mouth in the middle of a battle."

Again, that damnable smirk.

Since it was clear that I wasn't going to be able to take him out in a single blow, I changed tactics. Instead of trying to finish him off with deathblows, I decided to properly face the guy and stepped forward.

The Flame Emperor stood still, content with waiting.

Once more, I swung my sword. A cautious step. This one was probing, a test to see if he was as good as he seemed.

As expected, the Flame Emperor parried.

But I was expecting that. Moving into the direction of his parry, I spun around and slashed at his legs.

Was it because I caught him off guard like that before? This time the Flame Emperor immediately stepped back, avoiding the strike. At the same time, he swung his sword at my outstretched arm.

I twisted to block, and yet again our swords clashed.

Sparks flew as a staccato of metallic sounds echoed.

I frowned and started using wind magic to adjust my strikes at the last moment, attacking at awkward angles that wouldn't be possible otherwise.

Even so, the Flame Emperor managed to block and parry everything. As if he had no blind spots... No. As if he was reading a step ahead.

Since attacks weren't working, I forced him to stand still again by locking our blades once more.

The shrill sound of clashing steel screeched as the two swords fought for supremacy.

As they did, I glared and said, "Who are you? You're not Edelgard. You're not Pallardo. And there shouldn't be anyone else with this much skill."

That was the odd part. The Flame Emperor was an anomaly that shouldn't exist.

The only thing that I could think of was that he was somehow me. Or at least 'Byleth'.

But that was impossible.

Both Stella and myself would have clearly sensed it if that was the case.

My beloved sister would know because she had essentially regained her full powers because she had a proper body now.

As for myself, I was certain that I would be able to recognize mana signatures even if they were obscured.

But... that guy was a mystery.

It wasn't like he was hiding his magic usage or signature. I just didn't recognize it.

The Flame Emperor stepped forward and leaned towards me. "I should ask you that. 'Byleth' is incapable of these actions. Even considering time manipulation with Sothis's powers, 'you' are too different." He twisted, shifting the sword to try and gain leverage and disarm me.

I let him.

My blade, the flame sword that Blacksmith forged for me, spun through the air before piercing into the ground.

In that same moment, I stepped forward.

Half-remembered memories from another world. The principle of taking the shortest line to attack. A circle and a line, changing from a soft motion to a hard strike.

The Crest of Indech and my body's instincts connected the hazy memories and my right fist shot forward with a loud_ snap_ aimed at the Flame Emperor's chest.

He drew his sword back to try and cut me down.

It was too slow. My fist connected with his armor and crumpled it, sending the guy backwards.

Before I could advance, the Flame Emperor had vanished again, warping away.

I quickly scanned the surroundings for him and found that he had returned to the foot of the altar. Without a beat, I charged after him.

The Flame Emperor stood impassively... and then he smirked, glancing off behind me.

I stopped a few paces away from him and then glanced back.

Near the entrance, Ferdinand was doing his best at being a one-man army. With sword in one hand, axe in the other, and spinning a spear around between his arms, he singlehandedly held off a dozen opponents. And a dozen more were already on the ground, felled by his martial prowess.

Dory was standing behind him, her hands crackling with lightning. In the few gaps that Ferdinand left, she struck with precision, either buying enough time for Ferdinand to deal the last blow or finishing off those he left behind.

Off to the side, Caspar and Linhardt were fighting back to back. Blood was splattered over the blue brawler's face, but it didn't seem to be his own.

The same was true for Linhardt, a fact that caused the young crest scholar to tremble. But perhaps realizing that he couldn't hold back, Linhardt clenched his fists and held his ground, the flickering lights of Nosferatu gathering around his hands.

Further off, Petra and Bernie were standing back to back as well, both armed with bows. Facing off against a horde of swordsmen, the Brigid princess shot curved arrows into the crowd while Bernie fired a fusillade straight ahead, cutting down those that dared to approach.

My students were doing well... but it seemed to be a never-ending tide of reinforcements. The moment that one got cut down, dark magic flared in the distance, sending more to join the fray.

At this rate...

_Byleth! What should we do?_

My sister's voice echoed in my head.

I frowned.

Jeritza stood upon a small hill of corpses, cutting down challengers with a manic glee.

Not far away, my dad had commandeered a horse and spear. Arrows, dark magic, fireballs... dodging a barrage of attacks that would have decimated a normal person, my dad charged, running over anyone he could reach and drawing aggro from half of the Agarthans that had arrived.

Back near the altar, Delly had split off with Hubert, racing back to reconvene with Anna. Paired with the Secret Seller, my beloved fiancée and her retainer fended off a trio of remarkably skilled Agarthans that held their ground even when Delly and Hubert performed coordinated strikes and Anna swapped in.

The only ones who weren't engaged in combat were Lysithea and Stella who were still standing nearby, watching my clash with the Flame Emperor and waiting to attack at a moment's notice.

The Flame Emperor smiled. "Should you really be standing around here like this, 'Professor?'"

I grit my teeth and glared at the Flame Emperor.

At times like this, the lack of Thyrsus and the other Heroes Relics really hurt.

If I had that, this fight would have been over the moment it started. In hindsight, I really should have picked up the Sword of the Creator before the mission began.

But there wasn't any space for regrets, especially with Divine Pulse disabled by that guy.

In that case... victory was a lost cause. We wouldn't be able to rout the enemy without at least one person dying. I was certain of it.

That was definitely out.

Then... retreat was the best next course of action. While there were a lot of enemies to face, I was certain that I could pull something off and get out of this mess. Granted, I'd be bedridden and half-dead for about a month, but we'd live.

Except, the Flame Emperor would be free to leave with the Chalice of Beginnings. And while that guy didn't seem to realize how to perfectly utilize the cup, the Agarthans, especially Thales, definitely would.

Doing that, we'd lose both the battle and the war.

_Dear brother of mine?_

...Think you can blast him away, Stella? That or force a Divine Pulse anyway?

_No. To both._

Why?

_That cup... The Chalice of Beginnings appears to share traits similar to my own powers. Furthermore... the flow of time is distorted around that person. I believe that is why your attacks are not working properly._

Dammit. I knew something was up. But... that doesn't help.

The Flame Emperor smirked and said, "I see that you are at a loss."

I glared at the Flame Emperor and said, "As if. I'm just thinking of the best way to wipe that smirk off your face."

This was dangerous.

Run, we lose in the future. Stay, we lose now. A Morton's fork with no way out.

Or so it appeared.

I carefully gathered mana in my artificial crest.

_Byleth! No! You cannot do that!_

It's the only way.

The final trump card.

What I discussed with my beloved sister.

_Stop! There has to be another way!_

You promised.

_But... if you do that...!_

I drowned out her voice and focused.

The countermeasure for the worst case scenario. Not an ace in the hole, but a wild card joker that would change the game.

Since it came to this point, I had to do it.

"Hmph." The Flame Emperor stared at me with those artificial golden eyes and said, "Such arrogance. Of course, considering the extent to which you defied Fate and disrupted our calculations, it is understandable. Unfortunately, this is where it ends." With those words said, the Flame Emperor raised the Chalice of Beginnings.

A pulse. Immense pressure like the sky falling down.

Since I had activated my artificial Crest, it didn't affect me. But glancing around, I could see that wasn't true for everyone else.

Fortunately, 'everyone else' included the Agarthans. So for now at least, we were fine.

Did the Flame Emperor believe he had won? The guy turned his back on me and walked up to the altar, completely ignoring everything else. "Finally... Time can return to its proper course." Saying that, he placed the cup back down on the altar and then held his left hand over it. With his other, he moved the Dark Creator Sword to his left hand and grabbed the serrated edge of the blade. "And with this, I can finally be reunited with her."

Danger. I didn't know what that guy had planned, but every instinct in my body was telling me that it would be over if he succeeded. But at the same time, I needed more time to activate my own trump card.

It was a race to see whose ploy finished first. But at this rate, it seemed like he would win.

For the moment, I decided to change tactics so that I could buy time.

There was a fragment of that guy's armor lying on the ground.

Palming it, I activated a skill I hadn't used in a while and ran forward.

Alchemy activated, creating a blade from the chaotic ambient mana and the fragment of metal from the Flame Emperor's armor.

Since I was only a few paces away, I quickly closed the gap between us and swung my sword.

Black steel crackling with violet light raced towards the Flame Emperor's back. But at that moment, a torrent of mana welled up, accompanied by a fierce gust of wind.

I pushed forward and grabbed my sword with both hands, trying to get past it.

The Flame Emperor stood up and turned around. Seeing me there, he shook his head and said, "Futile. No matter how well you wield your power, technique cannot triumph against raw might."

"We'll see!"

Violet lightning crackled, mixing with white bolts from the cup behind the Flame Emperor.

At the same time, I felt my left arm going numb, my artificial Crest crackling as my last resort started to activate.

Just a little more time.

All I needed were a few more seconds, and then-

"He has a point, Professor. Sometimes, you have to use a clever ploy instead of fancy techniques to win."

I blinked. "Huh?"

The Flame Emperor turned around to look at the source of that voice.

I glanced over as well.

It was an effeminate young man wearing a silver Officers Academy uniform. Light lilac hair, trending towards gray, framed his face and a sly grin was on his lips.

"Why-"

"Who are you?" The Flame Emperor's voice called out. But even through the distortion, his shock was clear. "I... do not recognize you. No, you are not in-"

"You're wide open, Pal!"

Before the Flame Emperor could finish, a brash and wild male voice echoed from above.

It was another familiar face.

The self-proclaimed King of Grappling, Balthus, flew down from the top of the chasm, a crazed grin on his face. His hair fluttered like a lion's mane behind him as he raised his right fist, covered in a two-pronged bone gauntlet shining like the sun.

The Flame Emperor took a step back. "That weapon...? No, that Crest! What are-"

Before the Flame Emperor could finish, wind magic wrapped around Balthus, accelerating his speed. In a flash, he accelerated like a falling star, aimed directly at the Flame Emperor.

Since things were unfolding in a way I didn't expect, I didn't release my trump card. Still, I decided to pause it for the time being and dashed back to assess the situation.

Yuri was standing off to the side. Catching my gaze, he smirked and gave a cheeky wave before pointing up.

I followed his motion and saw two young women standing at the top of the chasm.

One was the red-haired young woman with darker skin that I hadn't talked to, and the other was Constance.

I had plenty of questions I wanted to ask. But before he could, the sound of shattering glass and a small explosion filled the air.

"No!" The Flame Emperor retreated from the altar, his armor tattered and falling apart, crackling with violet energy. "I won't lose her again!" He stomped on the ground, causing an array of Crests to emerge. Like the mural in Rhea's office, the Crest of Flames appeared on the ground, surrounded by all the other Crests.

Again, danger. It was a magical phenomenon that I didn't know the result of, but I knew it was dangerous. So, before it finished, I had to distract him. "Like he said, wide open!" With that, I threw my makeshift sword and activated the Crest of Goneril to stall.

As expected, the Crests the Flame Emperor activated negated my own.

But it wasn't enough to stop my sword. Whether because it was made from the same material as that guy's armor or because of the manner I made it, the blade pierced through the light of the Flame Emperor's Crests and headed straight towards his heart.

The Flame Emperor scowled and was forced to move to avoid it, causing whatever he was planning to stop.

At the same moment, Balthus stepped forward, swinging his shining Heroes Relic gauntlets at the Flame Emperor's head.

"You...!" The Flame Emperor growled and then warped away again, reappearing at the altar. With hurried motions, he reached out to grab the Chalice of Beginnings. But at that moment-

"I'll take this."

Yuri warped in above the Flame Emperor and plucked the cup from the altar.

I blinked, still trying to process the chain of events.

Before I could, Yuri waved at me and said, "I'm tagging out! Your turn, Professor!"

"Wha-?" The surroundings blurred and then I was standing in front of the Flame Emperor.

He seemed as confused as I was, frozen for a brief moment.

I didn't hesitate. Before he recovered, I swung my left arm at his face. For good measure, I sent a disruptive pulse to get rid of whatever final protection he might have.

For once, my attack connected. The cracked face mask on the Flame Emperor's helmet shattered from my blow.

At the same time, I heard Yuri shout. "Connie! Hapi! Get us out of here!"

The familiar build up of Warp swelled from behind and then Yuri and Balthus vanished.

But I didn't pay them too much attention. Instead, I focused on the Flame Emperor.

He staggered back, clutching at his face. The pieces of his white mask fell through his fingers, stained crimson with blood. And behind them, his face and true identity was-

"Huh?"

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the wait! I had an unexpected amount of workload for the first few days of class. A lot of orientation and virus protocol stuff to go over as well as readings. T_T

This chapter was supposed to be longer, but I wasn't able to manage it. It's a cruel cliff-hanger, but that was the best place I found to break it up, so I hope you don't mind too much.

And poor Byleth. Everyone's taking your trade secret wind magic and using it willynilly. A shame copyright wasn't invented yet... Not that it would stop anyone.

Thanks for reading! I'll see you in (hopefully) a week! Til then, stay safe and be well!


	92. The Flame in the Darkness

It was a familiar face. At the same time, it wasn't.

I tried to place it in my mind, but the moment I did-

Static blocked out my hearing and nausea swept through me.

It didn't make sense. I recognized the face, but I also didn't.

He/she looked like me, but didn't look like me. He/she looked like Delly, but didn't look like Delly. He/she looked like Stella, but didn't look like Stella.

It was like one of those optical illusions where the image shifted every time you blinked. I stared at the Flame Emperor, but it was like my very being rejected the notion of that person's appearance.

The key features were concrete. Black hair. Violet eyes glowing with power. Delicate facial features that were objectively attractive regardless of the gender. But as to what those facial features actually _were_...

I couldn't comprehend it.

A throbbing headache.

I winced and clutched my head, trying to force a measure of concentration and sort out the information I was receiving through my eyes.

It didn't work. Instead, the headache worsened and the static in my ears grew louder.

I shook my head, trying to clear it, and said, "Who... are you...?"

My artificial Crest activated, as if resonating with something. As a result, the headache and static lessened. However, it did nothing to help the confusion.

With the activation of my Crest, I also could sense the Flame Emperor's mana signature. While there was a mishmash of Crests, beneath it all was a unique pattern that must have belonged to the Flame Emperor alone.

It... still didn't make sense.

Delly's mana. Stella's mana. My own mana... that was what I felt coming off of the Flame Emperor.

The Flame Emperor scowled and stepped back. Darkness bloomed around the hand he/she held over his/her face before obscuring it in shadow.

The moment that happened, the nausea, headache, and static I experienced vanished. I shook my head to focus and then stepped forward.

The Flame Emperor raised his/her sword.

I shook my head and said, "You've lost. Surrender and come with us. If you do, you won't be harmed."

"Come with you?"

I froze.

Without the distortion, the Flame Emperor's voice was clear. But it also wasn't. An overlapping male and female voice. "If you truly cared about the future, you would come with me."

I was silent.

The Flame Emperor was odd. Just like with Yuri and the others, he or she was an exception. A paradox that shouldn't exist normally in the timeline.

I was sure of it. That person's existence was a result of time being distorted so much.

"You are aware of it as well. Left to their own devices, that side will commit countless more violent acts and send Fodlan into chaos."

I narrowed my eyes. "And you won't?"

"Of course not. There is only one future that I wish to see come to pass... and it can only happen with your cooperation."

"...That's a lie." I tensed my body and said, "You might be able to hide your face behind those shadows, but you can't hide the venom in your words."

Byleth's natural ability to sense the shifting moods in people. The intuition to detect falsehoods and malice.

I didn't know whether it was because I had broken the Flame Emperor's armor, or because that person wasn't bothering to hide it anymore. Either way, I felt immense killing intent radiating off of that person.

It was a deep enmity that couldn't be resolved even through death.

As if killing me alone wouldn't be enough.

The Flame Emperor laughed. "You're right. I would rather Fodlan burn to the ground than cooperate with you."

"...Again, who are you? I don't think there's anyone I've ticked off this much to go to such lengths."

No one in the story would be like this. At the same time, it couldn't be a random person that was waiting in the background that stepped onto the stage.

Stella told me that it was impossible for another person to be here like me. That she would immediately be able to tell if there was another person who came in from Earth.

That meant the Flame Emperor couldn't be someone who got transported here and took on the role.

But if that was the case... Who was it?

Even though the appearance kept shifting, there was no mistaking that the Flame Emperor's appearance beneath the mask had looked like a mix of myself, Delly, and Stella. Not only that, but that mix carried over in the Flame Emperor's mana as well.

Could I have jinxed it when I was talking to Rhea? Was the person in front of me... Was the Flame Emperor the child of me and Delly returning to the past from the future? And with Stella's aid?

But why would my child ever want to team up with the Agarthans? Not only that, but why hate me so much?

Did I fail to save everyone? Did I cause everyone to die?

The Flame Emperor's hand trembled, clutching the Dark Creator Sword in a death grip. "Who am I? I'm-!"

Suddenly, a soft sigh echoed from above. Immediately following, the ground rumbled.

I turned my attention away from the Flame Emperor and to the source of the tremors. When I did... "What the heck? Umbral beasts?"

Pieces of rubble fell down from the cavern walls. At the same time, powerful mana signatures welled up from underground, approaching at a rapid pace.

I quickly did some calculations and checked the emergence points of those monsters. Fortunately, the bulk of them seemed to be around where the Agarthan reinforcements would arrive. Even so-

"No." The Flame Emperor's voice echoed.

Glancing over, I saw the person take a step back and shake his/her head.

"Even further distortions?"

A chance. I didn't let it pass by and lunged forward.

There were too many questions that person had to answer and not enough time to tease out a response.

As a result, I decided to knock out the Flame Emperor and ask them later. Charging forward in a gust of wind, I threw my fist at that guy's face again, making contact-

_CRACK_

Time spun backwards. It wasn't much, just a single second. But in that time, the Flame Emperor dodged, stepping to the side.

My charge missed its mark and I landed on the ground behind the Flame Emperor. I spun back around and narrowed my eyes. "Resorting to cheap tricks again?"

"You're one to talk." The Flame Emperor slowly took a look around the battlefield.

I quickly did the same.

The momentum had changed.

Whereas before my students were on the backfoot, with the arrival of the Umbral Beasts, giant worms that each had a maw of serrated teeth, the Agarthans were the ones being pressured.

I wasn't sure why, but the Umbral Beasts were mostly targeting the Agarthans, leaving my students free to act with impunity and clear out the enemy.

Well, most.

I noticed that one of those worms had popped up near Stella and Lysithea. As expected from the two young magical powerhouses, said worm was being attacked with extreme prejudice, blasted by high level dark and light magic spells.

The Flame Emperor let out a deep sigh. "How infuriating. It seems that this path is a dead end."

I turned my attention back to the Flame Emperor and said, "So you're going to give up then?"

The Flame Emperor shook his/her head. "It would have been ideal to obtain the chalice, but we already have the required blood for the Rite." Light magic glyphs blossomed around the Flame Emperor.

My eyes widened and I quickly stepped forward, priming my artificial Crest for more disruptive waves. But it seemed like I had strained it too much recently. When I did, I felt a surge of static race through my arm into my body, causing my heart to throb.

White light wrapped around the Flame Emperor, the familiar radiance of Warp. With it, the shadows wrapping around the Flame Emperor's face vanished, the dark magic dispelled with the start of the light magic.

"Damn it!" I grit my teeth and ran forward anyway. I might not be able to stop his magic spell, but if I was fast enough-

Static, nausea, and that headache.

Mid-stride, I felt it all return and was forced to stop in my tracks.

The Flame Emperor... that person that looked so much like Delly, Stella, and myself, narrowed his/her eyes and said, "You win this round, 'Byleth'. But there are plenty of opportunities left for us. Next time... Next time will not end so simply."

I took a step forward. But the moment I did, the Flame Emperor was gone.

_Oh dear brother of mine? If you are so inclined... Could you help with this accursed monster!?_

I stared at where the Flame Emperor stood for a brief moment and then decisively spun around.

The sword made from the fragment of the Flame Emperor's armor was stabbed into the ground nearby.

Picking it up, I threw the idle thoughts I had about that person's identity aside and ran towards Stella and Lysithea.

The Umbral Beast screeched, a high-pitched sound that grated at the ears. Wriggling about, it lunged towards Lysithea, its maw of serrated teeth opened wide.

Lysithea's eyes widened and she quickly ran back, trying to avoid it. But she was too slow. Her frail body wasn't meant for physical activity, so she fell short.

But that was where I came in.

Before the Umbral Beast could pounce, I raised my left arm.

The artificial Crest was out and my mana reserves were dipping into red, but there was enough left in me to activate a few more Crests. And right now...

The Crest of Cichol flared, sending the Umbral Beast crashing to the ground. The giant worm started to convulse, straining against the power of the Crest binding it.

Before it could break free, I closed the gap.

The Umbral Beast screeched again, showing its repulsive rows of teeth.

Carefully observing it, I took in the creature's size and formulated a plan.

It was large, probably twice my height in its width. As for its length... well, the best comparison would be a pair of school buses placed back to back.

As I reached the area just in front of the worm, I considered how to kill it.

Magic would definitely be the best option. The next would be a heavy weapon like an axe or a long one like a spear.

Unfortunately, none of those were available to me. In that case, I should-

Golden light flared, followed by whistling wind.

My eyes widened and I jumped to the side. The moment I did, a dozen white arrows shot past me, piercing through the worm's thick body.

Not a moment later, as if to finish it off, a giant arrow of light flew down from above and smashed through the worm's head. When that happened, the entire Umbral Beast faded into darkness, leaving only the damage to the ground as traces of its existence.

I blinked and then turned around to the caster.

Stella lowered her hand and huffed. "I would hope that you did not simply waste your time with that Flame Emperor figure and obtained some useful information in that long dialogue."

I shook my head. "It's... complicated." I turned my attention to Lysithea and said, "Are you alright?"

The young white-haired mage brushed off her uniform. "I'm well, Professor. And thank you for saving me."

"Thanks for sticking around and doing a good job keeping that person in check."

Lysithea beamed.

I turned back to Stella and then gave a quick glance over the battlefield. "How are things in general, Stella? We holding up alright?"

"Well enough." She glanced at the place where the Flame Emperor had vanished and said, "I take it that our next step is to retreat?"

"Considering how worn out everybody must be, that would definitely be the best plan. Unfortunately, that looks like it might be hard..."

The enemy forces were still outnumbering us. While we didn't have to worry about the Flame Emperor performing whatever ritual that person had in mind or being the main target of the Agarthan reinforcements, it didn't change the fact that we were stuck between a rock and a hard place.

I frowned and took a quick look around.

My flame sword was lying on the ground nearby.

I picked it up and sheathed it back at my side before turning my attention back to the current situation.

Stella crossed her arms and said, "Well then, dear brother of mine. What do you plan to do then? And do not tell me you plan on resorting to 'that' after all."

I paused and shook my head. "No. We aren't that desperate anymore. And even if I wanted to, I can't do it properly at the moment."

"Good." Stella nodded.

Lysithea frowned and glanced between me and Stella. "What are you two talking about, Professor?"

I shook my head. "Nothing. Now as for our current situation..." I focused on Lysithea and said, "You can cast Quake Sigma, right Lysithea? I remember you doing it at the mock battle."

She frowned. "I... can. But it was only possible for me to control it with the use of Thyrsus. I'm afraid that if I attempt to do so here-"

"That's fine. I'll handle the targeting."

"E-Eh?" Lysithea blinked and looked like she had questions to ask. But perhaps realizing the situation, she simply nodded.

I turned to my dear sister and said, "I'm assuming you know Rescue?"

Stella rolled her eyes. "Of course I do. Unlike a certain overly diligent professor, I have been properly researching all of the branches of magic and perfecting my spells."

"...Can't say I have anything to rebut that."

The shortcomings of not doing dedicated training were beginning to show.

I wasn't sure if it was by chance or if there was a spy, but it was clear that relying on my same old tricks weren't going to work in the future.

Today was already cutting far too close for comfort, especially when considering that the luxury of rewinding grievous errors with Divine Pulse was out of the question.

I could probably do a second or two like that Flame Emperor had, but winding back to the beginning of the battle like in the game was completely out of the question.

But that was something to worry about after this situation.

I shook my head and then walked over to Lysithea. As I did, I called out to Stella and said, "Anyway, I'll leave you to handle bringing everyone here for safety."

Stella sighed. "Of course. Leave me with the difficult portions yet again."

"Sorry."

Stella shook her head. "It is fine. I expect as much from you at this point, dear brother. Of course, I fully anticipate a proper reward when we return to the monastery. Understood?"

"Well, let's make it out of here first." I dodged the question and turned towards Lysithea. "You ready?"

The young dark mage blinked and then said, "You mean to cast it now, Professor?" She glanced at the cavern walls and said, "But the terrain..."

"Like I said, leave it to me."

Quake Sigma was a hard to handle spell. Impossible to use, normally. Lysithea managed to handle it with Thyrsus helping last time, and I did it by draining myself completely and disregarding the damage.

But this time would be different.

Lysithea had no trouble with casting it, just control.

In contrast, I had no problem with controlling it, just casting it. Then together...

Lysithea stared at me and then nodded. "Then... I'm starting." She held up her left hand, eyes narrowing in concentration. Distorted sparks started to flicker in the air as her unstable mana flared, writing out the pattern of Quake Sigma.

I held up my left hand as well and focused.

The artificial Crest was overused so relying on it to direct the spell was a no-go.

But I had enough experience with melding mana on my own at this point. While it was out of the question to form the pattern for Quake Sigma on my own, it was a simple manner for me to hold Lysithea's spell steady and direct it.

Lysithea flinched. It seemed that she noticed my interference. Even so, she took a deep breath and focused on casting.

I did the same, concentrating on the targets.

The Umbral Beasts. The Agarthans. Any reinforcements barring our way out.

Waiting for the spell to finish, I focused. And then... "Now, Stella!"

Countless dark magic glyphs lit up the surroundings. Whether because Lysithea was better attuned to dark magic or because she simply had more output, the beginning of it was different than when I casted it.

But that was all the space I had to think about it.

Golden light flashed in the distance. Dark magic flared, shooting out geysers of black energy all over.

Gritting my teeth, I focused on the roiling and unsteady spell.

Time passed. Whether a few minutes or an hour, it wasn't clear. However, eventually everything died down.

When it did, the enemy had vanished and my students, along with Jeralt, Jeritza, and Anna, were standing around me.

Lysithea let out a sigh and turned to face me. She smiled, a bright expression, and said, "It worked Professor!"

I smiled back. "That's great. Now we just have to-"

A wave of fatigue.

My eyes widened and I tried to steady myself. But for some reason, I couldn't feel anything. Not only that, my body wasn't responding.

The ground rushed up to meet me. At the same time, I heard people call out my name.

And then, nothing.

* * *

Before I knew it, I was alone.

Soft green light illuminated the surroundings, but not very far. Yet what little it did illuminate showed elaborate stone architecture. Pillars etched with runes. Walls with murals reminiscent of medieval paintings. And then, in the center of it all, a towering throne with a flame carved upon the back.

I blinked and tried to move. But I found myself unable to. In fact, as I stared at the space and the empty throne, I realized that was the only thing I could do.

A sigh echoed, and then a voice called out. "Well now. Should I call you a fool for acting so rashly, or heroic for recklessly attempting to sacrifice yourself to protect those you care about?"

I tried to speak, but I couldn't. To begin with, I didn't have a body to move, let alone a mouth to speak with. Realizing that, I decided to speak with my thoughts instead. _Stella?_

"Haah. What am I going to do with you?"

Hey. It wasn't my fault. What else was I supposed to do in a situation like that?

"To begin with, you should not have sought so desperately to change fate. Some events ought to come to pass. Resisting them will only cause even greater resistance from the world itself."

And risk losing someone?

"A fool like you seeks to attain the world but at this rate... Hm. I suppose that all we can do is just wait and see how things turns out."

I guess so... Now. Mind telling me where you are and why I'm here, dear sister of mine?

Silence.

I paused. _...Stella?_

"You should wake up now. Your precious students- No, your dear wife is worried sick about you."

Hold on.

"The next time we meet will likely be when you have lost all hope. Even then... I pray that you do not give up."

That voice...

"Good luck, 'Byleth'. You must lead them well."

I focused, straining myself to see the person talking to me.

A faint silhouette sat on the throne. But it wasn't Stella. Rather, it was a familiar figure.

The face that I saw every day when I looked in the mirror.

He waved, a faint smile on his face.

Wait a minute! Stop playing mysterious and help me out here!

The darkness barely kept at bay by the emerald lights crept up, filling the room. And then...

* * *

"You bastard!"

A faint chuckle sounded out from nearby and then a cold male voice said, "Well. It appears that our Professor still has quite the fighting spirit in him. It seems you were worried for nothing, Lady Edelgard."

I blinked, slowly taking in my surroundings.

A beautiful young woman with silver hair stared down from above. Her violet eyes were half-lidded with fatigue, but a bright smile crossed her face. "I guess you're right, Hubert. I should know better than to worry too much about my love at this point."

* * *

A/N: Shorter than I would like, but I didn't want to keep you guys waiting on that brutal cliffhanger too much longer. Law school is kicking my butt. Case briefs are 'brief', but the cases themselves are dense even though the quantity of pages is short. T_T

Hope this one isn't as bad of an ending as last time, and thanks to all of the encouragement in spite of last ending.

The Flame Emperor's identity is still a bit of a mystery and this chapter probably brings up more questions. But it will 'hopefully' make sense eventually. For the diligent searchers and advent theorists though, I'll leave a hint and say that Sothis's first question to you in the game plays a big role here.

Thanks for reading! Not sure when the next update will be, but it'll be before the end of the month, I promise. If not, I'll drop a note in two weeks giving heads up.

Until next time, take care!


End file.
